PITTSBURGH — The White Sox designated right-handed reliever Jose Ruiz for assignment Friday and, needing a reliever with multi-inning ability, selected the contract of righty Jesse Scholtens from Triple-A Charlotte.
Scholtens, 29, provided just that, pitching the last three innings of the Sox’ 13-9 loss to the Pirates and allowing one run in his major-league debut.
The Sox also signed former closer Alex Colome to a minor-league contract. Colome, who was in the Nationals’ camp this spring after signing a minor-league deal, will be activated at Charlotte on Saturday.
Ruiz gave up three homers over his last two appearances and allowed nine runs and eight hits, walked four and fanned three in four appearances this season, his sixth with the team. He had a 4.56 ERA in 68 games with the Sox.
Ruiz’s inability to consistently throw strikes was his downfall. He turned heads when he went 2-0 while allowing one hit with five strikeouts — Mike Trout and Tim Anderson included — in 4⅓ scoreless innings during three World Baseball Classic appearances for Venezuela.
“We saw a really good mentality in the WBC that we were really excited about and really pushed, tried to get him to carry that over here when he came back,” pitching coach Ethan Katz said. “Unfortunately, it didn’t work out, and we wish him well.”
Scholtens has a career 4.29 ERA in 154 minor-league games, including 105 starts, mostly with the Padres’ organization from 2016 to 2019 and 2021 to ’22. The Sox, who like his four-pitch mix and strike-throwing ability, signed him to a minor-league contract in December.
“He can give us four or five innings if we need it,” manager Pedro Grifol said.
Scholtens said flying on the team charter and walking into a major-league clubhouse was “incredible.” He got the good news from Charlotte manager Justin Jirschele.
“He called me into his office, and all the coaches were there,” he said. “I had a feeling. I kept saying to myself, ‘Come on, Jirsch, say those magic words.’ ’’
Colome returns to organization
Colome, 34, converted 42 of 46 save opportunities for the Sox in 2019 and 2020, with a combined 2.27 ERA. He had 17 saves in 24 attempts and a 4.15 ERA in 67 appearances for the Twins in 2021 and had a 5.74 ERA with four saves for the Rockies last season. Colome had scoreless appearances in his last four outings with the Nats in spring training but was reassigned to minor-league camp and released last week.
Eloy’s fuzzy timeline
Eloy Jimenez was running and throwing a day after he landed on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring, and on Friday he was hitting batting-practice home runs.
“He says he is strong, woke up better than yesterday,” Grifol said.
Grifol said Jimenez’s work capacity is up because of his offseason work and conditioning.
“I was optimistic — and everyone is now — that it shouldn’t be too much longer,” he said.
The Sox said Jimenez could be out two to three weeks when he went on the IL.
“There’s a possibility that it could be shorter, but, again, injuries happen,” Grifol said. “You give the timetable, and if it’s quicker, it’s quicker. Everybody heals differently, and I think a lot has to do with the work you put into it.”
