GLENDALE, Ariz. — Third baseman Yoan Moncada left the White Sox’ Cactus League game Sunday against the Rockies with stiffness in his lower back, the team said.
Moncada left after two innings, and the Sox said his status is day-to-day.
Moncada didn’t talk with reporters but smiled and gave a thumbs up in the clubhouse, saying he felt ‘‘good.’’
After Moncada suffered a strained oblique muscle in the last week of spring training last season, the sight of him leaving a game early wasn’t a pleasant one for the Sox four days before Opening Day.
Moncada’s strained oblique was downplayed as minor at the time, but he didn’t play again until May. He batted .212/.273/.353 with 14 home runs in 104 games last season and came to camp determined to bounce back.
At the World Baseball Classic with Cuba, Moncada made the all-tournament team after batting .435 with a home run, four doubles, five RBI and four runs scored.
The Sox are finalizing their Opening Day roster Monday and have two Cactus League games remaining — against the Cubs on Monday and Tuesday.
Giolito’s strong finish
Right-hander Lucas Giolito allowed one run and four hits, struck out six and walked one in 5⅓ innings against the Rockies.
The run charged to Giolito scored on a double by Michael Toglia against lefty reliever Jake Diekman.
‘‘That was a good one to end [the spring] on, for sure,’’ Giolito said. ‘‘I felt I had a pretty productive camp. I like where everything’s at. No complaints. Ready for the season.’’
Crochet coming soon
The addition of left-hander Garrett Crochet in May is expected to bolster the Sox’ bullpen substantially. Crochet’s recovery from Tommy John surgery a year ago is progressing well.
Crochet pitched his first live batting practice Friday, and while he admitted he felt ‘‘antsy’’ and didn’t command his fastball as well as he would have liked, it was an important step.
Crochet, who has a 2.82 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 54⅓ innings over parts of two seasons, will go to extended spring training. He featured 100 mph-plus velocity when he made his big-league debut in 2021 but wasn’t near that during the live BP.
‘‘Really want to be at full strength when I get back with the team in May,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m not really worried about being at full strength right now.’’
Colas not a finished product
Prospect Oscar Colas will make the Opening Day roster, a source confirmed, but he will be a work in progress. So says manager Pedro Grifol.
‘‘I don’t think he’ll do that for a while,’’ Grifol said when he was asked whether Colas, who has been the leading candidate to be the Sox’ starting right fielder all spring, has checked all the boxes. ‘‘It doesn’t mean anything. It just means that he’s developing.’’
Colas, who is batting .270/.281/.444 in 26 games this spring, was 1-for-3 on Sunday.
Grifol has spoken openly about Colas still honing his defensive and baserunning skills and fundamentals and has stressed his coachability.
ROCKIES 4, SOX 2
• Seby Zavala belted his fifth home run of the spring. Zavala, batting .293 in Cactus League games, has seven homers in 103 career games.
• The Sox close out the spring with games against the Cubs on Monday and Tuesday in Mesa. They are expected to make their Opening Day lineup official after the game Monday.
• The average time of 28 Cactus League games hosted by the Sox and Dodgers is 2 hours, 34 minutes. The Sox (12-13-2) played their final game of the spring at Camelback Ranch.
• On deck: Sox at Cubs, 3:05 p.m. Monday, Mesa, Mike Clevinger vs. Jameson Taillon. Michael Kopech, who will start the home opener April 3, against the Giants, will start Tuesday.
