In yet another setback to their depleted outfield ranks, the White Sox put rookie Andrew Vaughn on the injured list Thursday in compliance with MLB COVID protocols.
The hope is that Vaughn won’t be sidelined for long.
“Andrew is currently asymptomatic, and our hope is that, similar to our other IL placements [Luis Robert, Dylan Cease] of this nature, he will return shortly to the active roster,” general manager Rick Hahn said in a statement announcing the move. “At this time, no other players on the roster are impacted.”
Infielder/outfielder Gavin Sheets was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte.
Vaughn did not play in the Sox’ doubleheader against the Indians in Cleveland on Monday and returned to the lineup Tuesday. Manager Tony La Russa said Vaughn was held out Monday because of allergies.
“The pollen in the air was really bad, and he was hurting that day,” La Russa said Thursday.
“You’d have to be a doctor to know how that affects the test. He was healthy, and all of a sudden he was miserable that day. Then he shows whatever showed up in the test. A couple of tests were negative, so we’re optimistic . . . that this is a temporary thing.”
Players on the injured list for COVID-19 cases do not face a minimum duration.
Vaughn is batting .226/.316/.394 with four home runs and a .711 OPS. A first baseman, he successfully made the transition to left field after Eloy Jimenez suffered a long-term injury during spring training. An outfield expected to be made up of Jimenez, Luis Robert, Adam Eaton and Adam Engel has seen only Eaton playing regularly because of injuries.
Billy Hamilton was in center field, and Jake Lamb, a corner infielder throughout his career, was in left against the Tigers. Infielder Danny Mendick also has played the outfield.
Sheets, 25, might start Friday, La Russa said. He impressed during spring training and is batting .319/.360/.500 with four homers and 20 RBI in 23 games with the Knights. He has played in 14 games at first base, nine in right field and one in left.
Legos or loud in the clubhouse
American League Reliever of the Month Liam Hendriks has built Lego sets of ‘‘Friends,’’ Baby Yoda and Darth Vader in the clubhouse, which he said teammates don’t mind seeing because it keeps him quiet.
“Tim Anderson has been calling me Lego Liam,” Hendriks said. “Everybody is really relieved I put headphones on and do my Legos, so they don’t have to hear me talk anymore. It’s a bit of a break for everybody, not just for me.”
Hendriks and Anderson have had an ongoing razzing exchange since spring training. Hendriks gave Anderson the business for bobbling a ground ball in Cleveland.
“A lot of guys will make fun of each other,” Hendriks said.
“That’s what we need to do. We keep each other honest, yelling at each other, and it’s just that kind of thing where we help lock ourselves in a little bit.”
La Russa closing in on McGraw
La Russa’s 2,761 victories going into Thursday rank third in MLB history, only two shy of John McGraw. Connie Mack is the all-time leader with 3,731.
“If that ever happens, I’ll have a couple of comments for you,” La Russa said. “But it’s not going to happen today if we can beat the Tigers. We’re really concerned because they’ve been playing better. And I’ll leave it at that.”
