SURPRISE, Ariz. — Catcher Chuckie Robinson greeted John Brebbia near the Chicago White Sox dugout after the relief pitcher struck out Kansas City Royals designated hitter Gavin Cross to complete a scoreless inning.
Brebbia had just checked another item off his box as he makes his way back from a right calf strain, pitching in a Cactus League game for the first time this spring Thursday. Brebbia allowed one hit and had the one strikeout in the sixth inning of a 3-3 tie at Surprise Stadium.
“Cactus League, American League, National League — whatever league we’re playing in, it’s nice to play in a big stadium, fans in the stands, all that stuff,” Brebbia said.
“I mean, I love back-field games. I like bullpens. I like pitching, I enjoy it. (But) there’s something special about being able to pitch in an actual game. And it was nice to know — we didn’t assume any differently — but everything is feeling good and hopefully it will be a normal year.”
Brebbia, who signed a one-year deal with the Sox in the offseason, hopes to be ready to break camp with the team.
“Unless I have a setback, it should be just fine,” he said.
He joked that he’s “actively avoiding having a setback because that would stink.”
“But I don’t think there is anything stopping a normal nature of whatever decision is being made,” Brebbia said.
Overall, several decisions remain for the Sox bullpen.
“We’re still sorting through that,” manager Pedro Grifol said before Thursday’s game. “There are guys who are on (the opening-day roster) already and then there are other guys that are competing. This is a good problem to have. We have arms. We have to look and see who is going to help us win.”
Tim Hill, Steven Wilson and Michael Kopech are among the certainties.
The left-handed Hill signed a one-year deal with the Sox in the offseason, while Wilson was one of the players acquired in the trade that sent Dylan Cease to the San Diego Padres. The Sox announced last week they’re shifting Kopech to the bullpen.
Tanner Banks and Deivi Garcia have been among the returning pitchers making an impression, while Touki Toussaint has rebounded in recent outings. Banks, who has a 1.17 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 7⅔ innings, told the Tribune he has worked on pitch execution.
“More than anything, (spring training is) the time to be able to get your feet under you and either prove or re-establish yourself and go out and compete to make the team,” Banks said Thursday.
Garcia has a 1.04 ERA and nine strikeouts in 8⅔ innings. The right-hander has focused on getting his fastball in. And after allowing 11 runs in his first two outings, Toussaint hasn’t allowed a run in his last three appearances.
Seven nonroster invitees with major-league experience remain in camp.
Jesse Chavez and Bryan Shaw are the veterans of that group, with 16 and 13 seasons in the big leagues respectively. Dominic Leone, who has a 2.57 ERA in seven innings, is another pitcher younger players can lean on.
“You’re always going to have young guys that have incredible stuff,” Leone told the Tribune earlier this month. “But they’ve done an incredible job of adding some veteran guys who also have some really good stuff but also provide the savvy, the experience that’s needed out there.
“I just know from personal experience, my first year, I came up in a (Seattle Mariners) bullpen with a ton of veteran guys. The amount of stuff I learned that shaped my career to what it is today, it was instrumental. To be now on the other side of that, it’s exciting.”
Jake Woodford and Chad Kuhl have had the chance to work as starters and relievers. Pitchers capable of going multiple innings out of the bullpen is an area the Sox are evaluating.
Justin Anderson has a 2.57 ERA in seven innings and Jake Cousins has 10 strikeouts to go with a 1.50 ERA in six innings.
“He has a power slider, a heavy sink,” Grifol said of Cousins. “He’s in the mix. And it’s not only the guys coming with us to Chicago. We’re having a little depth in Triple A. It’s important to us. Nobody starts with 26 (players) and ends with (the same) 26.”
The Sox also have to determine the next steps for Prelander Berroa and Jordan Leasure.
Berroa, who dealt with shoulder issues earlier in camp, was scheduled to throw in a B game Thursday. Leasure has been one of the top pitchers for the Sox this spring, allowing no runs in 8 1/3 innings. He struck out two in one inning Thursday against the Royals.
Brebbia is glad he’s not the one in charge of whittling the options.
“I watch these games and see guys throw, it’s: ‘Oh, he has electric stuff. Oh, cool, that guy is really good,’” Brebbia said. “That gets crazy, to roll guys who have great pitches, good stuff, know how to execute. So I don’t envy who in a room has to make these decisions.”
