Toussaint, Colás show growth in pitchers' duel

CHICAGO – White Sox manager Pedro Grifol brought up a question to pitching coach Ethan Katz concerning starting pitcher Touki Toussaint mid-way through a 3-0 loss to the Cardinals Saturday at Guaranteed Rate Field.

“I asked Ethan in the middle of the game, ‘What can we add to his repertoire?’” said Grifol after his team slipped to 1-4 on this final first-half homestand, with Toussaint allowing two runs in five innings. “Because he looks the part. He looks like a potential one of the five guys.”

That’s one of the five guys, as in the starting rotation, a role Toussaint has taken on part-time since he was claimed off waivers from the Guardians by the White Sox (38-53) on June 20. The pedigree is there for the right-hander, having been selected by Arizona 16th overall in the 2014 MLB Draft out of Coral Springs Christian Academy in Florida.

The starting opportunity has been there for Toussaint with Michael Kopech and Mike Clevinger both on the injured list, and only Kopech slated to return during a nine-game road trip to start the second half.

It might continue when Clevinger gets healthy, as Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn could be trade targets from a White Sox squad not presently figuring to contend even in the worst division in baseball in the American League Central.

But Toussaint isn’t counting his trips to the mound before they happen. He’s on his fourth big-league team at age 27 and follows a familiar Grifol mantra of taking things day by day.

“I’ve been in so many different situations,” Toussaint said. “I’ve been starter, reliever, starter, long man, short guy. Just stay in the moment and go day by day. Just keep going out there and doing my job.

“I’m glad I’m just here. I’ve been everywhere so I’m just happy I’m here.”

Rookie right fielder Oscar Colás can relate to that happiness in a slightly different manner. The No. 2 prospect in the White Sox system, per MLB Pipeline, broke camp with the team but was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte on May 2 after he struggled not just results-wise but in finding a set preparatory routine and approach and handling failure.

Colás returned to the White Sox Tuesday, set as the team’s starter for the remainder of the season. He finished 2-for-3 Saturday and has noticed a difference in this albeit short second stint.

“I’ve been doing the same thing I was doing in the Minors. I kept my plan and there’s no reason for me to change it now,” said Colás through interpreter Billy Russo. “I’ve been better in handling the emotions and the situations of the game than the first time.

“Now, when I get on the field, I have the mindset of just control what I can control and focus on the game. I’ve been doing a good job on that.”

In the third inning against St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas (5-5), Colás fell behind at 0-2, worked the count full and then ripped a single to center. That at-bat alone showed signs of growth.

Unfortunately for the White Sox and Toussaint, there wasn’t much offense on Saturday. Four White Sox pitchers combined to strike out 14, with five coming from Toussaint, but the White Sox dropped to 0-9 this season in games where they recorded 14-plus strikeouts.

No other team with at least two such games is winless.

“We missed a few pitches that we probably should have hit. We chased a little bit. We've got to get back to the drawing board and continue to work. We've got to make sure we stay in the strike zone,” Grifol said. “We had a ton of ground balls too, which is what we're trying not to do.

“We're trying to elevate the baseball. Sometimes it's on us and sometimes the other guy on the other side did a good job. I'll re-watch that and see what we've got."

What they have in Toussaint is a veteran who threw 81 pitches, showing again he’s built up to be a regular part of the rotation. When asked about adding to his repertoire, as Grifol mentioned, Toussaint instead focused on repeating his delivery.

“That’s my biggest crutch my whole career,” Toussaint said. “I’ve worked with Katz day in and day out. Try to get that down pat and go out there and compete.”