GLENDALE, Ariz. — The question was whether Garrett Crochet would make the rotation coming out of spring training.
The answer Monday was an emphatic “yes” with manager Pedro Grifol’s surprise announcement that the left-hander with 73 major-league innings and zero major-league starts on his résumé will be the White Sox’ Opening Day starter when they host the -Tigers on March 28.
“Very shocked, to say the least,” Crochet admitted.
Quite surprised, to say the least, was the general reaction to the announcement, Crochet’s superb performance this spring notwithstanding.
Coming off Tommy John surgery in 2022 and shoulder problems last season, Crochet has been the talk of a Sox camp full of nice vibes but lacking front-page news, and with Crochet getting the nod ahead of Erick Fedde and Michael Soroka, the Sox found a way to check a “buzz” box to create interest for the opener.
“You come in with that curiosity that you have a big-time arm coming into the starting fold,” Grifol said. “You’re curious to see how it’s going to pan out. He went out there and performed, pounded the strike zone. His stuff was electric, and he’s going to get the opportunity.”
Dylan Cease was the already-named Opening Day starter when he was in camp, with Fedde and Soroka lined up behind him on the Cactus League schedule, in that order. Cease’s departure in a trade to the Padres sapped some interest out of an opener for a team coming off a 101-loss season, but perhaps Crochet, who has featured 100 mph velocity, 12 strikeouts (Shohei Ohtani and top Dodgers among them) and no walks in nine scoreless innings over four appearances, will recapture some.
Crochet’s workload will be a point of monitored emphasis as he encounters his first extended challenge of starting. Two innings was the longest of his 13 appearances last season. Three innings and 38 pitches (over two innings) are his career highs. He has thrown 34, 29, 56 and 49 pitches this spring.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” Grifol said. “Obviously, the workload is important for us, but there’s so many layers to this. Everybody’s going to be involved in this, sports performance, training staff, strength and conditioning. The front office, myself, the pitching coaches. There’s days off, we can go on a sixth day, there’s stuff we can do to monitor the workload.”
Asked how many innings or pitches he can contribute in the opener, Crochet said, “Kind of the story of my spring is be where my feet are. We’ll see when that day comes. If I’m efficient, who knows?’’
Five innings?
“Yeah, I think so,” he said. “Keep pushing me!”
Crochet received the big news from pitching coach Ethan Katz on Sunday.
“I heard he had some exciting news for me; I thought it was that I just made the rotation,” Crochet said. “For this to happen . . . very humbling.’’
Crochet will be the ninth pitcher in the last 110 years to make his first career start on Opening Day, joining Tanner Scheppers (2014), Fernando Valenzuela (1981), Preacher Roe (1944), Al Gerheauser (1943), Red Evans (1939), Jim Bagby (1938), Lefty Grove (1925) and Eddie Eayrs (1920).
Crochet will be the first Sox pitcher to make an Opening Day start for his first career start since Roy Patterson in 1901.
The Sox will have a completely revamped rotation after they opened 2023 with Cease, Lance Lynn, Lucas Giolito, Mike Clevinger and Michael Kopech.
This season’s first group likely will be Crochet, Fedde, Soroka, Chris Flexen and another to be named.
“It’s humbling and very gratifying,” Crochet said of standing on top of it. “Worked my tail off this spring. Had a lot of solid veterans to lean on in this camp. Was able to put together a good couple of outings. I feel like I earned it, and I feel like I’ve been waiting for this moment but didn’t really know if it would come. So to be awarded this, it’s a huge honor.”
