P¨¦rez gets results after slight delivery adjustment

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Martín Pérez felt as if he¡¯s back to dancing on the mound for the White Sox.

Thanks in part to a delivery adjustment made prior to his start in a 2-1 walk-off, split-squad victory over the Rockies Saturday at Camelback Ranch, P¨¦rez allowed one run in four innings while striking out six. That adjustment had to do with the placement of his hands, moved from his chest down to his belt.

¡°I got better rhythm. Got more timing. I feel better and was trying to get back to 2022 with that rhythm on the mound,¡± P¨¦rez said. ¡°Today was really nice to feel what I feel.

¡°If you watch the video from last year, that was something I was working on late in the season. You have to be natural. I¡¯m not like a mechanical pitcher. I like to have rhythm.¡±

P¨¦rez's velocity was checking in from 87-89 mph during his last start on Monday, according to the southpaw, but was back around 90-91 mph Saturday, meaning his body was reacting more to the hand placement change. It was a suggestion made by pitching coach Ethan Katz during a bullpen three days ago and a return to where P¨¦rez had his hands in that All-Star campaign from ¡®22.

¡°It¡¯s just like if you have your hands up, you are going to feel your upper body is a little tight,¡± P¨¦rez said. ¡°When I go down, I feel more relaxed. I feel I can breathe a little bit more and have rhythm with my hands. I feel that I just find my rhythm back.

¡°Spring Training is for things like this: doing adjustments every time and finding a way to feel comfortable on the mound. Me and [Katz], we talk about doing something different with my hands because I was not using my legs the way I have to use them.¡±

As for the sort of dance P¨¦rez was now executing on the mound, he smiled and said, ¡°salsa.¡±

¡°I¡¯m hitting more of my spots,¡± P¨¦rez said. ¡°A lot of quality pitches. All my pitches have been getting better every outing and I feel I¡¯m getting ready.¡±

Drury making a case
Infielder Brandon Drury had been impressive during Spring Training even before he launched two home runs, a double and drove in five during a 7-3 White Sox victory over the Reds on Friday afternoon. He added second base to his varied defensive repertoire as part of Chicago's 9-8 walk-off loss to the D-backs on Saturday in the other end of the White Sox split-squad day, knocking out his seventh double against the Diamondbacks, driving in a run and pushing hard to make the team as a non-roster invite.

¡°Hopefully, [I'll] just play all over: First, second, third, DH,¡± Drury said. ¡°I just want to be in the lineup, so whatever I can do to be in the lineup, I¡¯m all for it. Whatever it is, I don¡¯t care.¡±

Drury, 32, had a combined 54 homers, 120 extra-base hits, 170 RBIs and an .808 OPS over the 2022-23 seasons with the Reds, Padres and Angels. In ¡®24, while playing through hamstring and wrist issues, Drury dropped to a .169/.242/.228 slash line with four homers. He healed up for one month in the offseason and then went to work to fix his approach.

¡°I was chasing more after those two seasons,¡± Drury said. ¡°More home runs, more exit velo, all the stuff we chase. It was the opposite because I couldn¡¯t square the ball up. Just do what I¡¯m doing.

¡°In ¡¯22 and ¡¯23, I was very good at getting the ball in the air to the pull side. Last year, with the injuries and swing changes I made, I couldn¡¯t get the ball in the air. I was hitting ground balls on everything. It is just Spring Training, but to be able to lift the ball like that, I¡¯m excited about that.¡±

Despite the past success, Drury feels as if he has a great deal to prove.

¡°I¡¯m getting better,¡± Drury said. ¡°Just keeping it as simple as I can and staying short to the baseball. I have enough power where I don¡¯t have to move forward or try to create more by anything except just staying short.¡±

Third to first
? Left-hander Hagen Smith, the No. 3 White Sox prospect and No. 34 overall, per MLB Pipeline, will start Sunday¡¯s Spring Breakout contest against the Rockies.

? Third baseman Josh Rojas left Saturday's game against the Rockies in the fourth inning with soreness in his right big toe. He¡¯s day to day.