White Sox prospect Robert on unbelievable roll

CHICAGO -- In five games and 21 at-bats for Class A Advanced Winston-Salem, outfielder Luis Robert has a .524 average, four home runs, two doubles and 12 RBIs.

But don’t look for the No. 39 overall prospect per MLB Pipeline to make an immediate jump to Double-A Birmingham based on one week of outstanding results.

“One day at a time. He's off to good start. We'll see what he does tonight. I'm just happy to see the progress so far,” said White Sox director of player development Chris Getz prior to Tuesday’s contest with the Rays. “Good to see his first professional home run, and he's continued to drive the ball, have good at-bats.

“He's obviously a very talented player, fun to watch. And I know that the Carolina League is not really enjoying what he's putting together on a nightly basis, but from the White Sox perspective, it's good to see.”

There are some who believe Robert’s talent could play at the big league level as it is now. But thumb injuries for the 21-year-old Cuban native limited Robert to 186 at-bats and 50 Minor League games in 2018, so getting that everyday experience is important.

Getz and the entire organization know what they are looking for in a player such as Robert: To separate a great start from a player who has mastered a certain level.

“You evaluate the tools first, and obviously he grades out very well across the board,” Getz said. “And then you see the production, what type of production you're seeing, and obviously we're seeing power numbers, doubles and home runs. He's putting quality at-bats [together].

“From an assessment standpoint, how are those at-bats coming together? What pitches is he swinging at? What pitches is he laying off? Now that they're going to start challenging him with different stuff, how does he react to it? How does he react to the different approaches these pitchers are going to take with him? From an evaluation standpoint, we certainly want to see how he reacts when they make adjustments.”

Cease ready to go

Dylan Cease, the No. 21 prospect overall per MLB Pipeline, made his 2019 debut for Triple-A Charlotte during a Tuesday doubleheader. The right-handed hurler also is scheduled to pitch Sunday in Indianapolis.

The White Sox were very careful about Cease’s usage during Spring Training, trying to maximize his innings for a big league promotion later in the year, after he set a career high with 124 frames thrown in 2018. That concern remains in place, but the White Sox are excited to see him go.

“We want him to go out there and compete,” Getz said. “Sure, we are going to monitor the workload and the innings. But we do that with all our pitchers. We just really want him to have a quality start in Triple-A for the first time.”

Jones ready for back to back

Nate Jones has yet to throw back-to-back games this season and did not go back to back during Spring Training. But the veteran right-handed reliever, who pitched in 38 games over the last two seasons due to injury, feels ready to do so.

“Absolutely,” Jones said. “Maybe that’s probably just because it’s early. They want to keep me healthy all year. It’s a little bit cooler weather. But I prepare myself to pitch every day. I’ll be out there ready to go today, and if they call my name, I will be good to go.”

Jones made his second straight scoreless appearance Monday and hit 95.8 mph in top velocity, per Statcast.

“I don’t watch the radar gun on the scoreboard,” said a smiling Jones on the latest velocity question. “As long as I’m getting guys out and doing my job, that’s what I care about most.”

They said it

“Quite frankly, that our pitching on both ends just settles down.” -- White Sox manager Rick Renteria on current concerns for his team