Works out with new coach Giolito and new White Sox pitching coach Ethan Katz worked together in Los Angeles last week, Scott Merkin of the White Sox's official site reports. Impact Katz was hired during the offseason to replace long-time pitching coach Don Cooper, but he's not new to Giolito. The two have worked together during offseasons since the right-hander was in high school. Their work last week focused on refinement of Giolito's high fastball and the addition of a 12-6 curveball, referred to as a "downer" by the pitcher. "It comes out of my hand almost like a slider variant. It's hard to give it a real true name like curveball or slider. But the whole idea of it is it comes out on my fastball plane and then just goes down kind of later, whereas my slider is a little more right to left with that downward action. This one is more like out of the hand fastball plane, straight down late," said Giolito. He has thrown six or seven bullpen sessions during the offseason in preparation to build his innings count from the 72.1 he threw during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
FEBRUARY 8, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
