This story was excerpted from Scott Merkin’s White Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Reliever Gregory Santos remembers a conversation from earlier this season with manager Pedro Grifol concerning whether the rookie had the guts to be a closer for the White Sox.

“I said, ‘Yeah, of course. That’s what I want to do.’ He said, ‘Well, don’t worry. Your chance is going to come. Keep working, keep doing your job,’” said Santos through interpreter Billy Russo, speaking during the White Sox three-game series in Arlington, where Santos threw an inning in the third game. “That’s why I feel very happy. I pray for that and I’m going to continue to do my job.”

Santos will hold the White Sox closer role for the rest of the 2023 season, with the team announcing Wednesday that Liam Hendriks will be sidelined for 12-14 months following Tommy John surgery. Santos, a hard-throwing right-hander, averages 99 mph with his sinker in a predominantly slider/sinker mix (50.6 percent to 46.6 percent), according to Statcast. He will now get an extended chance to show how he handles pressure.

Pitching the ninth inning and getting those difficult final three outs are no different from the work in the seventh or eighth in Santos’ mind.

“We are playing the same game. I don’t think I have to put more pressure on myself just because they are the last three outs of the game,” Santos said. “It depends on the personality of each individual. In my case, even though I’m still young, I have experience in different situations. I’ve been able to get out of a jam with bases loaded and no outs. Why is it going to be different in the ninth?”

“I’m really excited to see him in these situations and see how he responds,” White Sox pitching coach Ethan Katz said. “He’s had a great year up to this point and we want to continue to build. While doing that, [we will] be mindful of his workload, because he’s getting up there. We also want these situations where there’s a save opportunity to put him in there and continue to develop him and watch him grow.”

With the White Sox featuring a 6-18 record over their past 24 games, Santos has recorded just two saves -- one in Oakland and one at Guaranteed Rate Field vs. Cleveland. He preferred the home save, with a stadium light show announcing his on-field entrance in front of a ballpark filled with excited fans.

“I don’t know how to explain that experience. It was really nice,” said a smiling Santos. “I remember when I was a starter, I always said if they were going to change my role, I wanted to be a closer. Now I have this opportunity and every chance to close a game is going to mean a lot.”