Tony La Russa has high praise for Nick Madrigal

GLENDALE, Ariz. — In Nick he trusts.

As White Sox manager Tony La Russa put it, second baseman Nick Madrigal is a player who won’t hit many homers, but he’s one La Russa can win with.

“Nick is a young guy you can trust in any situation,” La Russa said. Madrigal is similar to David Eckstein, a former player of La Russa’s who hit 35 homers in a 10-year career.

La Russa acknowledged he has won with sluggers — see the 1983 Sox with Greg Luzinski, Ron Kittle et al, the Bash Brothers in Oakland and Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman in St. Louis — but “I’m just telling you the more guys you have in your lineup who know how to play the game of baseball,” the better.

“They know how to play the score and they know how to manipulate the bat and direct the ball to different parts of the field, and you can play whatever game you want to play with them. Then you can dictate a chance to win all kinds of games. You don’t have to win a game when the wind is blowing out. Nick, I mean, he’s an artist.”

La Russa’s emphasis in this camp is a two-strike approach, and Madrigal, who batted .340 in 29 games in his first season in 2020, hit .321/.357/.679 with two strikes and struck out only seven times (while walking four times). As a first-round pick out of Oregon State in 2018, he came to the Sox with a reputation as a heady player, but there were baserunning and fielding mistakes.

“[After] last year, just getting a little taste, I can do a lot more to help this team,” Madrigal said Thursday, “on the basepaths or in the batter’s box, on the defensive side. I didn’t even showcase what kind of player I truly am. I’m excited to go out there, especially being a lot healthier this year and feeling almost completely 100% at this point.”

Madrigal played through a sore thumb and had surgery on his left shoulder — stemming from an injury on a slide — after the season. He’s participating in defensive drills and taking live batting practice and is close to returning to game action.

“I don’t know if it’s going to be this Sunday [for the Cactus League opener against the Brewers at Camelback Ranch] or next week for the first game, but I’m thinking it’s not too far out,” he said.

Moncada close to full speed

Third baseman Yoan Moncada has held off from throwing because of normal spring arm soreness, but La Russa said he was surprised to learn Moncada might be ready to play Sunday or Monday, an indication he’s close to being full go.

“I’m definitely not going to push it,” La Russa said. “So we’ll see how he feels [Friday]. We’re taking legitimate infield relays and all that stuff, see how his arm feels.”

Going, going ...

Thirteen of the Sox’ 14 Cactus League home games are sold out. Capacity is 2,400 because of coronavirus restrictions, with tickets available only for the March 2 game against the Rangers.