Home run a ‘step in right direction' for Avisail Garcia

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Though Robin Ventura would have liked to start rookie Trayce Thompson on Wednesday some positive signs from Avisail Garcia prompted him to change his mind.

Not only did Garcia hit his first home run since June 8 in Tuesday’s loss, it didn’t go without notice from Ventura that the outfielder pulled the ball over the left-field fence. Garcia, who went 2-for-4, also doubled to left field in Monday’s loss. Given the White Sox are hopeful Garcia can learn to hit with power to all fields and not just to right, Ventura thought it best to leave his young outfielder in the lineup.

“Leaving Avi in there to kind of work out his stuff, he had a good day yesterday and you keep going,” Ventura said.

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Working with hitting coach Todd Steverson, Garcia has focused on the use of his hands and having a more balanced weight transfer in his swing. The club also has worked with Garcia to give him confidence he’s strong enough that if he hits the ball in the air, he has more than enough power to hit home runs without doing too much. Garcia said he feels better with the adjustments and his most recent results suggest he may have started to find some comfort. Thompson made his major league debut in Tuesday’s game and Ventura plans to find a spot for him sooner than later.

“There’ll be a day he starts,” Ventura said. “Right now (Garcia) seems to be late on most things, you’re just trying to work through it to get him, making contact, kind of thinking middle of the field.

“Yesterday was a step in the right direction.

“That he pulled something, got it in the air -- he’d been hitting a lot of stuff on the ground. For him, he should be a guy that can hit it in the air. He’s strong enough that if he hits it in the air it’s most likely going to go out.”

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