Garcia is showing more plate discipline, drawing eight walks this month alone after drawing nine all of last season. He picked up some good habits from Cabrera and Martinez, who took him under their wing. Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
DETROIT — Avisail Garcia looks like the long-term solution at the cleanup spot for the Chicago White Sox.
Garcia crushed homers that were estimated at 442 and 468 feet at Tampa Bay on Sunday, giving him seven in 40 games during his injury-marred season. He had seven home runs in 72 games last season. The combination of Jose Abreu and Garcia in the 3-4 spots could some day be as dangerous as the 3-4 Detroit duo of Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez.
“You’re looking at them and there’s potential for that,” manager Robin Ventura said. “Hopefully, that will happen. You just want them to continue to improve but you like what you see so far.”
Adam Dunn served the role of cleanup hitter most often this season before he was dealt to Oakland. Dayan Viciedo and Conor Gillaspie have also taken turns there, but Garcia is the logical candidate to protect Abreu in the lineup for years to come. Garcia’s power potential was obvious in the minors, even though he hit only two home runs in parts of two seasons with the Tigers before he was dealt to the White Sox at last season’s non-waiver trade deadline.
Garcia was hitting .319 with three home runs and 13 RBIs over his last 18 games before going 0-for-4 against his former club on Monday night. He was reinstated from the disabled list on Aug. 16 after returning from a torn labrum in his left shoulder that was expected to sideline him the rest of the season.
“It’s big for him,” Ventura said. “You’re facing teams that are grinding, like the Tigers. It’s good for him to get back, just for his own piece of mind of being able to play it out. He’s played in a lot of games consecutively as well and that helps.”
Garcia is showing more plate discipline, drawing eight walks this month alone after drawing nine all of last season. He picked up some good habits from Cabrera and Martinez, who took him under their wing.
“They’re really good hitters and they always have the same approach,” Garcia said. “They work really hard for that. You see that and you try to do the same. It’s not only the hitting but just having the same routine every day. Seeing that helped me a lot.”
Garcia is still showing some effects from the injury mentally, according to Ventura. He has been playing shallower in right field since his return and has shown some tentativeness in diving for balls.
“If anything, you want him to still be aggressive,” Ventura said.
