This story was excerpted from Scott Merkin’s White Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CHICAGO – I asked White Sox manager Pedro Grifol about his feel for the 2023 White Sox through 10 games, prior to the start of the three-game losing set at Target Field.

My question also included a disclaimer of how it still was very early in the course of a 162-game season. Grifol didn’t want to hear about it being early.

“I don’t like that term early. It’s not early,” Grifol said. “It’s a game. It’s a Major League Baseball game that we’ve got to win, whether it’s April 1 or freaking September-something.”

Here’s my take on the 2023 White Sox -- with all due respect to Grifol -- ask me in July, because it really is early. Sure, that response may read as some sort of copout, and I understand that teams don’t receive less credit for wins in April than they do for wins in September.

Currently, this group looks .500 if not a little below. Win a couple, lose a couple. The offense, pitching and defense have been extremely inconsistent so far this young season, but it is too soon to assume that a team can’t change.

The 2012 White Sox, in Robin Ventura’s first season at the helm, started 13-17 and 17-21 before moving into first place on May 29 and staying atop the American League Central for 117 days before being knocked out late in the season. I watched the 2010 White Sox, under Ozzie Guillen, go from 24-33 on June 8 to a 49-38 mark and first place in the division on July 11.

Presently, this team looks similar to last season, which has to be a little troublesome following one of the more disappointing campaigns in recent memory. The early struggles have been emphasized by injuries to Eloy Jiménez, Yoán Moncada and Tim Anderson. If all goes well, though, these three integral parts of this talented roster should be back together by the middle of May at the latest.

Closer Liam Hendriks, who has battled his way through treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in a truly uplifting story, and Garrett Crochet will be major bullpen additions whether it’s late May or early June. Competing against the Twins and Guardians for the division crown, the White Sox simply can’t afford to get buried early.

Sitting at 5-8, with 10 of those first 13 on the road, is a rough way to start, especially with a tough schedule ahead.

“My take on this team is we’re talented, we’re hungry,” Grifol said. “We’re talented on both sides of the ball … We’ve just got to put it all together and play good baseball.”

“Unfortunately, we’re banged up a little bit. It’s not what we wanted, but it’s the hand we were dealt,” starting pitcher Lucas Giolito said. “So, we have to deal with that, have guys stepping up. I’m seeing it. Looking forward to guys stepping up and producing while some of our big guys are down.”

“I think the effort has been great,” staff ace Dylan Cease said. “That’s really the biggest thing. At the end of the day, that’s the only thing I’m concerned with, and I haven’t seen any issues. If we keep showing up like we are, good things are going to happen.”