White Sox’ Nicky Delmonico has concussion

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Chicago White Sox left fielder Nicky Delmonico (30) is attended to after crashing into the bullpen door as he attempted to catch a ball hit by Milwaukee Brewers catcher Manny Pina in the seventh inning of a spring training baseball game Thursday, March 7, 2019, in Glendale, Ariz. Pina scored an inside the park home run on the play. Delmonico was assisted off the field and left the game. (AP)

TEMPE, Ariz. — White Sox outfielder Nicky Delmonico, who crashed into the outfield fence in a Cactus League game Thursday against the Brewers, suffered a concussion, the team said Friday. Delmonico remains under MLB’s concussion protocol and will be evaluated in the coming days.

“He definitely felt the blow,’’ manager Rick Renteria said Friday. “You could see he was very dizzy. He was feeling nauseous. The normal effects of a possible concussion.’’

Renteria and trainer Brian Ball ran out to the left-field corner where Delmonico was down after attempting to catch Manny Pina’s drive headed toward the bullpen gate near the foul pole. The gate swung open on impact.

Pina circled the bases for an inside-the-park home run against right-hander Ian Hamilton, which was the least of anyone’s concern. When Delmonico got up, he put his arms around Renteria and Ball and was helped to a cart.

“From what we heard, he hit the gate so hard that it popped the gate,’’ Brewers manager Craig Counsell told reporters after the game. “Broke it. And then there was an exposed pole that he hit his head on pretty good. Pretty scary. The guys in the bullpen said he hit his head pretty hard.”

Delmonico had just entered the game in the seventh inning when the injury occurred. He is trying to win an Opening Day job in the outfield, with Jon Jay and Adam Engel as the likely sure bets. Eloy Jimenez isn’t expected to make his debut until late April.

Daniel Palka, who led the Sox with 27 home runs last season, is behind the others in the starting lineup with a tight hamstring.

Brandon Guyer, viewed as a right-handed-hitting complement to the left-handed Palka and Delmonico, injured his throwing elbow early in spring training and has been limited to designated-hitter duty.

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Delmonico seemed up against it before he got hurt. He is sub-par defensively and batted .215/.296./373 in 88 games last season. He was off to a good start at the plate this spring, going 6-for-15 with two doubles (.400).

“He’s doing the normal protocol, keeping him away from lights,’’ Renteria said. “Let the brain just rest, hopefully be well on the way to recovery. It’s going to be a little while before he’s on the field.’’

Delmonico’s concussion is the latest in the Sox’ bad run of injury luck. This spring, prospects Luis Basabe (broken hamate bone), Dane Dunning (forearm soreness), Seby Zavala (quad) and Luis Robert (thumb) and Guyer, Palka and Delmonico all have been hurt.

NOTES: Luis Robert (jammed left thumb) took batting practice in the cages this morning, but manager Rick Renteria wouldn’t speculate on his return.

• Renteria said Ervin Santana is slated for live batting practice Sunday, then a minor-league game on the back fields next Friday.

Luis Basabe and left-hander Kodi Medeiros were optioned to Class AA Birmingham, and infielder D.J. Peterson was reassigned to minor-league camp.

• Former Sox pitcher Esteban Loaiza was sentenced to three years in federal prison for possessing 44 pounds of cocaine he intended to sell, which authorities found inside a minivan parked at an Imperial Beach, California, townhouse.

Loaiza, 47, who pitched for the Sox in 2003-04 and 2008, pleaded guilty last summer to a single felony count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

Contributing: Sun-Times wires

<em>Nicky Delmonico crashes into the bullpen door as he attempts to catch a ball hit by Milwaukee Brewers catcher Manny Pina in the seventh inning of a spring training baseball game Thursday. (AP)</em>

Nicky Delmonico crashes into the bullpen door as he attempts to catch a ball hit by Milwaukee Brewers catcher Manny Pina in the seventh inning of a spring training baseball game Thursday. (AP)


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