Covey's role depends on improving command

SEATTLE -- Dylan Covey’s next hurdle is making in-game, mental adjustments.

After stumbling his way through 3 2/3 innings in his outing Friday against the Mariners, Covey is cognizant that his inability to throw strikes early could cloud his standing heading into 2020.

Chicago’s bats bailed him out in a 9-7 win, benefiting from a matchup against Yusei Kikuchi, who, by ERA and WAR, has been among the Majors’ worst starters. But Covey put the club in an early hole by walking three batters in the first inning and allowing each to score. He was done after giving up five earned runs on seven hits, raising his ERA to 13.92 over his past nine outings, eight of which the White Sox have lost.

“I was just missing up a lot, kind of throughout the whole game,” Covey said. “It's just been something I've been struggling with, keeping the ball down, recently. So that's kind of where I'm at. I've got to really work on keeping the ball down. Some of the hits that I gave up were just on defensive fastball swings that were up in the zone, and when my ball is up in the zone, the chances of it being put into play and finding a hole are a lot bigger.”

The White Sox lineup has shown the potential to take a leap toward contending in 2020. The rotation remains a question mark, but there are enough pieces to suggest it could be a catalyst behind All-Star Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease, Reynaldo Lopez and No. 2 prospect Michael Kopech, after he returns from Tommy John surgery. There’s also the possibility that the club could add veteran depth through free agency.

And that’s where Covey’s role becomes more uncertain. The White Sox acquired him from the A’s in the Rule 5 Draft in 2016 and have protected him on their 40-man roster since. He excelled at Triple-A Charlotte, compiling a 2.82 ERA in 13 outings (11 starts), but his Major League adjustments remain a challenge.

“I like the starter's routine. It lets me prepare for one game. So I like the routine. I just need to be better and figure it out and make the adjustment like that," Covey said, snapping his fingers, "instead of going through it and struggling, lately. I just need to figure out a way to make an easy, quick adjustment on the fly.”

The White Sox still rave about Covey’s pure stuff, but his inability to harness his repertoire casts questions about his long-term role. His 4.6 percent strikeout-to-walk ratio ranks fifth-worst among 313 pitchers who’ve thrown at least 50 innings. Fifteen of his 20 first pitches on Friday were out of the zone, and he finished with 40 strikes on 69 pitches.

And that’s been a trend for the season. Covey’s .327 expected batting average and .540 expected slugging percentage -- which are calculated based on the exit velocities and launch angles of similar batted balls -- both rank among the lowest one percent in the Majors, according to Statcast.

For now, he’ll make his final two to three starts. But long-term, Covey’s length and six-pitch arsenal could allow Chicago to move him into a swing role and allow him to instead control two pitches.

“The stuff is there and it's getting a little better,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “It's just a matter of making sure that he continues to execute. His ball does have a lot of action. But if he misses, sometimes, he can get out over the plate and most good hitters are able to take advantage of it. But he certainly has the stuff. We're still in that journey in which we're trying to figure out, to be quite honest, what role he's going to fit in, whether he's going to be a starter or a reliever.”