Pedro Grifol is not a big team meetings guy. And if he has something to say to a player, he’ll say it to his face.
Through this most difficult first season, Grifol has refrained from calling players out in public, or as he says, “throwing them under the bus.”
“The one thing I’m never going to do? I’m never going to speak to players through you guys,” he said to reporters before the Sox hosted the Cubs Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field. “That’s never going to happen as long as I’m here. If I have to send a message to a player or a group, I’m going to do it in there behind those doors or in my office.”
Fans often want to hear players taken to task, but with a few exceptions, it didn’t happen with managers Rick Renteria and Tony La Russa before Grifol, either.
“I’ve had a lot of meetings with a lot of different people, not just players, and I will continue to do that throughout the course of this year,” said Grifol, who a day earlier blamed himself — unfairly taking all of the responsibility — for the Sox’ poor season. “It is really helpful. There is a way we want to do this, and there is a way we’re going to do this. And we need everybody’s feedback.”
Clevinger on target for Saturday return
After throwing four-plus innings in a simulated game Monday, right-hander Mike Clevinger will avoid going on a minor league rehab outing and likely return to the rotation Saturday when the Sox host the Guardians, Clevinger’s former team.
“I’m built up to about 80 pitches so I should be able to get five [innings] or 80,” Clevinger said.
Clevinger, who is 3-4 with a 3.88 ERA in 12 starts, hasn’t pitched since June 14 in Los Angeles. Biceps inflammation landed him on the injured list.
He said he touched 96 mph in the sim game.
“Velo’s there, stuff’s there,” Clevinger said. “Excited to get back. Yeah, it’s been way too long.”
“He was actually pretty impressive,” Grifol said.
Extra Bummer
Lefty Aaron Bummer has struggled this season but has embraced a multi-innings role of late and having success with it. He had retired 17 of the last 20 batters faced over his last four games.
“It comes with the territory,” Bummer said of pitching two innings twice and 1 2⁄3 in three of his six appearances in July before Wednesday. “Saving guys down there, filling a role and doing a job. If that’s what the team needs that’s what I’m going to do.
“The more I get to pitch, the better it is.”
Bummer owns a 6.82 ERA.
“It’s been trying,” he said. “It’s not what I expected and at times embarrassing. But we’ve done some good things lately.”
This and that
Tuesday marked just the seventh game this season the Sox starting lineup included Tim Anderson, Andrew Benintendi, Yasmani Grandal, Eloy Jimenez, Yoan Moncada, Luis Robert Jr. and Andrew Vaughn. The Sox were 4-3 through Tuesday when those seven players start a game.
*A moment of silence was observed before the game for Blackhawks chairman Rocky Wirtz.
