Andrew Vaughn hits his first home run of the season

First baseman Andrew Vaughn finally got the zero out of the home run column after a first-pitch homer in Friday's game against the Cleveland Guardians.

Despite the lack of home runs, Vaughn has started to get under more balls, generating two doubles in the last three games. His approach has looked better as of late and the Sox have needed the production.

“He's just getting more comfortable,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “He's at that stage where he's just, 'Who cares?' I'm just going to go play. But the one thing that's happened here in the last three or four days, and it's happened to [shortstop Paul DeJong], and it's happened to Vaughny, is they're playing the game."

The Sox are last in the majors in total runs scored and Vaughn showing some better results at the plate could help the team give its pitching staff more run support. After DeJong hit his third home run in May, he’s already surpassed his total from April.

Grifol said the game is rewarding those two because of the quality of their at-bats.

“Play to win every night, play the game the right way, the game will reward you for playing it the right way and doing what the team needs you to do to win baseball games,” Grifol said.

Lee's offensive approach

White Sox catcher Korey Lee unloaded on a sinker in the zone for a home run to left field in Friday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians.

The young catcher has found his stride during the month of May. He already has as many multi-hit games in five May games as he did in April. Lee is striking out below league-average and providing some pop in the lineup. His work with hitting coach Marcus Thames on fine-tuning his approach is paying off.

“Last year, he tried to pull everything,” Thames said. "We’re trying to keep him in the big part of the field. He’s trying to eliminate the swing-and-miss, and from Day 1 in spring training, he’s embraced it. Sometimes, he’ll catch himself trying to get too big, and then it’s like, ‘Hey, go back home.’ Going back home means staying low in the middle of the big part of the field.”

Lee’s bat is becoming harder to keep out of the lineup. He’s working with catcher Matcher Maldonado on improving the soft skills necessary to be a major-league catcher and command a pitching staff. Kopech in the bullpen

When reliever Michael Kopech was told in spring training that he would be coming out of the bullpen, it was another curveball for the former top prospect.

Kopech didn’t expect to be a reliever entering his age-28 season after being a first-round pick with the Boston Red Sox. After being underwhelming as a starter, the move to the bullpen has given Kopech new life.

The right-hander entered Friday’s game third in the American League in strikeouts (26), eleventh in innings pitched (19 2/3 ) and 12th in saves with four.

“It's a do-or-die game out there, and the game’s on the line,” Kopech told the Sun-Times. “Showing up to that moment each and every day is important. It's kept me locked in the season and reenergized my excitement for pitching.”