White Sox’ Romy Gonzalez loosens up and excels

Baseball is a difficult game — a profession for the select, gifted few who are tough enough to survive its peaks and valleys. But it’s also a kids’ game played best by adults when they keep it fun.

White Sox manager Pedro Grifol knows this. So when he observed Romy Gonzalez beating himself up during a tough time, he had advice for the 26-year-old infielder/outfielder: “Play the game the way it needs to be played.”

Keep it fun.

“When you let the pressures of this game take away the joy of it, you’re done,” Grifol said. “You’re done in anything you do in the game.

“It looks like he said, ‘The hell with it, I’m going to have some fun, and I’m going to play this game the way I know how to play it, and the way I’ve always played it.”

The attitude change occurred when Gonzalez — who made his first Opening Day roster, starting in right field in Houston — returned from an injury rehab stint in Arizona. Before going on the injured list May 1 with inflammation in his right shoulder, he struggled with a .139/.139/.194 batting line and one extra-base hit in 21 games.

He’s batting. .286/.297/.686 with a .986 OPS since.

“I love this game,” Gonzalez said. “I work extremely hard, and not getting early results was a tough pill to swallow. And that added pressure doesn’t help when you’re struggling. It’s just a game. Going out there and having fun took a weight off my shoulders.”

Added first baseman Andrew Vaughn: “You play 162 games in 180 days. It’s our job, but it’s a kids’ game. If you’re not having fun, it makes it tough. It brings us back to our roots of playing for fun.”

Gonzalez has heard similar things from those who knew him when he was a literal kid.

“I talk to my grandfather and my dad every day after games,” he said. “They can see when I’m flustered and trying to do too much. It took them awhile to get through to me. But they did, and when I came back from the IL, I told Pedro, ‘I’m a leaf in the wind, man. Whatever happens, happens. I’m just going to go out here, enjoy it as best I can and have fun.’ ”

Grifol has choices to make with veteran Elvis Andrus reinstated from the IL on Friday, when the Sox host the Tigers. Grifol views Gonzalez as a five-tool player “who can beat you in a lot of ways” and is expected to play Gonzalez at second Friday with Andrus on his bench.

Veteran infielder Hanser Alberto was designated for assignment Friday. Also, Mike Clevinger was reinstated from the IL, as expected, and Jesse Scholtens optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. Clevinger is Friday’s starting pitcher.

“I don’t think I’m going to be mixing and matching at second base,” Grifol said. “We need to win baseball games, so if somebody’s playing as well as Romy’s playing, then he’s going to play. If Elvis comes in and he does what he can do, then he’s going to play.”

In Wednesday’s 12-5 loss to the Angels, Gonzalez went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts after homering in three straight games. It was a reminder the game is never easy.

On Tuesday, he homered, doubled, stole third base and scored on an errant throw. He also made a rangy play at second. The mix of speed, power and defensive range gives him an attractive ceiling.

“Great defender — extreme range, really good hands, and he can swing it,” Vaughn said. “When he puts his bat on the ball, there’s a pretty loud explosion.”

Said Grifol: “He brings some excitement and some energy to the lineup.”

No more beating himself up.

“It’s really important,” shortstop Tim Anderson said. “Do away with all the thinking, do away with all the noise and just play. Just keep it simple and have fun.

“Romy has a lot of tools, and it’s showing. It’s showing more and more every day.”