With the start of pitchers and catchers reporting today for the White Sox, it’s usually customary for Rick Hahn to address the media for the first time of many throughout this season. Today was no different, and he covered a variety of topics – however, most questions surrounded the status of Mike Clevinger and MLB’s ongoing investigation into his allegations of domestic violence and child abuse.
Here are some of the key takeaways from Hahn’s press conference this morning regarding Liam Hendriks, Mike Clevinger, Garrett Crochet, and others.
Mike Clevinger
After it was reported on Tuesday that Mike Clevinger was reportedly going to be in camp with the White Sox starting today, it has been confirmed that Clevinger is indeed with the team. Hahn spent most of his time discussing Clevinger and trying to provide as many details as possible about what he and the team knew and know now.
One of the first things he mentioned was that Clevinger did speak to the team this morning and apologized for being a “distraction” in the clubhouse to begin the spring.
When asked about Clevinger’s investigation, Hahn did not have much information to provide, stating only that the team is prepared to let the MLB investigation continue to play out.
He went on to reiterate that, at this time, Major League Baseball is the only entity with the discretion to punish Clevinger for his actions following the conclusion of their investigation into the allegations of Clevinger’s domestic violence and child abuse.
In addition, the White Sox did do a background check on Clevinger, and at the time, considered him a “calculated risk” of a signing due to maturity issues from his past. The team claims that there was nothing in his background that indicated anything beyond maturity issues. It’s worth mentioning that Hahn did not dispute the validity of the claims against Clevinger – rather simply stating that, because of MLB’s policies surrounding domestic violence investigations, nothing to this extreme came up in their background check. However, Hahn still did state that the team will be re-evaluating their background check process as they approach future trades and free agent signings.
One of the most controversial answers Hahn gave was to the question of whether or not he was frustrated at the position Clevinger put himself and the team in by not disclosing that he was under investigation when the White Sox signed him. Hahn replied simply, “I understand why he did,” alluding to the fact that the team would not have signed Clevinger had Clevinger revealed to the club that he was under investigation. It wasn’t the most eloquent of answers from a person who historically chooses his words rather carefully, especially considering the gravity of the situation and how it affects people on a daily basis outside of the baseball world. However, it’s clear that the team would have not signed Clevinger had they known that his issues went beyond just “maturity” in the clubhouse.
So, at the end of the day, for those who were hoping for a quick resolution to Clevinger’s status on the team, it appears we all might be waiting a bit. For now, it appears Mike Clevinger will be on the team until the MLB’s investigation concludes.
Liam Hendriks
According to Rick Hahn, Liam Hendriks has been at Camelback Ranch from time to time, putting in some baseball work when possible. However, he reiterated his original plan that the team was not going to comment on his baseball availability until at least Opening Day. It is unclear if Pedro Grifol or others will give additional details, but at this time, it’s at least encouraging to know Hendriks is around the team and staying involved where possible.
Garrett Crochet’s Rehab
After undergoing Tommy John Surgery, which required Garrett Crochet to miss the entirety of the 2022 season, the White Sox provided a bit of an update on Crochet’s status. While the left-hander will not be ready for Opening Day, the White Sox believe he could be ready and in the majors by mid-May. There is a good chance that Crochet will be pitching as part of a rehab assignment by April as part of final preparations to rejoin the team. There was no talk yet about any innings limits on Crochet, though they will likely be similar to those Michael Kopech was under in 2021.
Other News and Notes
- It looks like Romy Gonzalez has the upper hand on the starting second base job.
- There seem to be some fans of White Sox 2022 first-round draft pick Noah Schultz at the major league level.
- Hahn gave an answer on “winning back the fans” that goes beyond his original intention of just the play on the field with the Clevinger allegations
- Tony La Russa is not expected around the team during Spring Training.
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