(670 The Score) Despite White Sox closer Liam Hendriks have a few rocky outings to open the season, pitching coach Ethan Katz is unconcerned.
The solution is rather simple in Katz’s mind and will be achieved soon.
“Liam’s in a good spot,” Katz said on the Dan Bernstein Show on Thursday. “I think it just comes down to pitch selection. He has to be able to use his secondary stuff a little bit more than what he has been doing. It’s something that he kind of battled last year in the beginning of the season. When he gets around 70% fastball, we want him around 60%. That’s kind of where his sweep spot is. So just getting him recalibrated with his pitch usage – he wants to attack guys and go after guys, which is just, we don’t want to change that mentality. We also want to be smart without how we’re going about it though.”
Hendriks, 33, has allowed runs in each of his first three outings this season, in which he’s 2-of-3 in his save chances. In three innings of work, he has allowed four runs, three earned, on nine hits while walking none and striking out seven batters. While the ninth inning has been adventurous at times, the White Sox are off to a 4-1 start, their best since 2005.
Katz added Hendriks will get in a better groove when he finds the feel on his slider.
“He’s overthrowing it, he’s overdoing it,” Katz said. “He’s trying to throw the nastiest pitch ever. Which is, you don’t want to leave a hanging breaking ball, especially when you’re in a predicament that he’s in trying to save the game. But you also need to be able to make it strike-to-ball to kind of to keep it very competitive, to keep the hitters honest. He threw off a really good one in the first game against the Mariners to (Luis) Torrens. That’s kind of what we are looking for more of. The curveball has been in a really good spot, but we’re trying to get the slider a bit more competitive, especially to those right-handers.”