White Sox’ Nick Madrigal lands on 60-day injured list with hamstring tear

White Sox second baseman Nick Madrigal has a proximal hamstring tear, general manager Rick Hahn said Thursday, landing the hot-hitting rookie on the 60-day injured list.

Surgery is a possibility, Hahn said. Madrigal has a complete tear of a tendon connected to the right hamstring and a partial tear of another tendon. It will be a week before a path to Madrigal’s recovery can be determined.

“We’re exploring options. Our doctors are talking to specialists about the treatment protocol, which could potentially include season-ending surgery,” Hahn said. “Or at the other extreme, maybe simply rest and rehabilitation as the hamstring heals.”

Outfielder Brian Goodwin was called up from Triple-A Charlotte. Danny Mendick was in the lineup at second base for Thursday’s game against the Blue Jays, and Leury Garcia will assume some of the second base duties in Madrigal’s absence, Hahn said.

It’s the latest in a series of impactful injury blows to the Sox, who are playing without left fielder Eloy Jimenez (torn pectoral muscle), center fielder Luis Robert (hip flexor strain), and pitcher Michael Kopech (hamstring), as well as outfielder Billy Hamilton (oblique).

“What we’re dealing with is a first place team that has overcome numerous challenges already this season,” Hahn said.

In any case, Madrigal will be inactive for six weeks and out for a matter of months, quite possibly for the season.

Madrigal, a No. 4 overall draft pick in 2018, was batting .305/.349./425 and was playing his best baseball of the season offensively and defensively. He extended his hitting streak to seven games, going 10-for-27 (.370), in the Sox’ 6-2 loss to the Blue Jays on Wednesday. He was batting .359/.412/.551 with nine extra-base hits and 10 RBI over his last 21 games.

Madrigal was injured running out a ground ball in the seventh inning Wednesday. He appeared to suffer the injury when his foot landed just shy of first base on the groundout, and he went down to the ground about 50 feet past first base.

Madrigal left the field with his arms around training staff and coach Joe McEwing.

Robert also was injured running out a ground ball. Madrigal’s was the latest in a bad run of hamstring injuries around the league and for the Sox in particular. Outfielder Adam Engel just returned from the IL after straining his hamstring in spring training, and shortstop Tim Anderson missed time with a hamstring strain. Hamilton was sidelined with a hamstring injury in April.

“There remains optimism that some of these players will return over the course of this season,” Hahn said. “We’ll potentially help internally from our own guys and we could well have an interesting next few months leading to the trade deadline base on our needs at that time.”

Despite the injuries, the Sox enter their game against the Jays Thursday with a 37-24 record and four-game lead in the AL Central.