Dylan Cease pleased with progress: Im hard on myself, but the strides Ive made are big – Chicago Sun-Times

KANSAS CITY, Mo. Dylan Cease has premium stuff, and theres no comparison to last season in how hes commanding it, he said.

Im hard on myself, said Cease, who will pitch the second game of the White Sox series against the Royals on Tuesday. But the strides Ive made are really big.

Cease wasnt trusted to start Game 3 of the wild-card series against the Athletics last season, and he understood why. The Cease of 2021 would have been, but now he faces the possibility of being squeezed out of a postseason rotation because of the Sox depth.

Teams dont need five starters in October, so one of the Sox quintet of Lance Lynn, Carlos Rodon, Lucas Giolito, Dallas Keuchel and Cease will pitch in relief in the playoffs, assuming the Sox get there as expected, and all are healthy. Lynn, Rodon and Giolito seem set as starters, and its hard to envision Keuchels stuff playing as a reliever. His experience wont be overlooked, either.

Asked about the possibility of pitching in relief, Cease said hes simply focused on start to start, on what happened in his last one and what he needs to work on.

I dont know, Cease said. Its above my pay grade. I just throw it and throw it when they tell me to. Whenever that comes, Im going to do what I have to do.

With a four-seam fastball averaging 97 mph in July, a sharp slider and curve and a changeup that Frank Thomas raves about, Ceases stuff is outstanding, and he knows it.

Yeah. I do, he said. I know Ive always had the raw ability. Its figuring out how to do it and do it consistently at the major league level. But, yeah, I know how good my stuff is. If Im throwing it in the zone and locating it its a very powerful feeling. But if youre not using it well, then its pointless to have stuff like that.

Cease (4.21 ERA) has averaged 11.6 strikeouts and 3.8 walks per nine innings, compared to 6.8 strikeouts and 5.2 walks last season. The strikeout ratio ranks third among American League pitchers. His 132 strikeouts rank fifth.

Im throwing my high-quality offspeed [pitches] in the strike zone, where last year I was almost lucky to drop a curveball in for a strike, he said. Now I feel like Im just driving offspeed in there and utilizing my fastball better. My fastball didnt have ride. Its a big difference.

Burger back to Charlotte

Former first-round pick Jake Burger -returned to Triple-A Charlotte to make room for Eloy Jimenez. Burger batted .263 with a homer, triple, three doubles and three RBI in 15 games.

Hes more than a big-league prospect, manager Tony La Russa said. Hes ready to help contribute, but the more experience he gets, the more hell contribute. His full potential needs more at-bats and more playing at third base and everything else in Triple A.

This and that

Outfielder Adam Engel was unavailable Saturday and Sunday because of sore shoulders from hitting the ground a couple times, La Russa said, and wasnt immediately written into the lineup Monday. Hell probably be off Tuesday.

The Sox have signed all 20 of their draft picks.

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Dylan Cease pleased with progress: Im hard on myself, but the strides Ive made are big - Chicago Sun-Times