Infielder Danny Mendick is out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, and right fielder Adam Engel was put on the 10-day injured list with a strained right hamstring, the latest in the massive rash of injuries spreading through the White Sox’ roster.
Mendick injured his right knee in the second inning of the Sox’ 9-5 loss to the Blue Jays on Wednesday on a collision in foul territory with left fielder Adam Haseley. In the same game, Engel felt something getting out of the batter’s box on a foul ball hit down the line and left the game.
The Sox selected the contract of infielder Lenyn Sosa from Double-A Birmingham and called up Gavin Sheets from Triple-A Charlotte. Eloy Jimenez was transferred to the 60-day IL, creating a spot on the 40-man roster. Jimenez, rehabbing after surgery to repair a torn tendon behind his right knee, is eligible to come off the IL at any time.
“I know there’s a reason for this,” said Mendick, who batted .289/.343/.443 with three home runs in 31 games and did not make an error playing three infield positions. “I’m going to come back stronger than ever.”
Mendick will have surgery soon. He expects to be ready for the start of spring training.
As for the collision, “that ball was in no man’s land,” Mendick said. “You’re going out; you’re trying to be aggressive. There’s nothing I would take back about it. I’m an aggressive player. I know Haseley is, too. I talked to him about it. I wouldn’t change it. You go after the ball; that’s how it works. Maybe a little miscommunication, but that’s part of it.”
Same hamstring, less severe for Engel
Engel missed the first two months of 2021 with a torn right hamstring, but this injury is less severe.
“Same part of the hamstring but a different muscle,” Engel said.
“It’s nowhere near as bad as what I experienced last year. So I’m optimistic that it should be on the shorter side of an IL stint.”
Engel joins Jimenez, Yoan Moncada, AJ Pollock and Joe Kelly among Sox who’ve had hamstring injuries this season. Tim Anderson, Luis Robert and Vince Velasquez have missed time with groin injuries. Lucas Giolito missed time with an abdominal strain.
What gives?
“I know that within our organization we’ve got a lot of smart people that are doing everything that they can,” Engel said. “If there’s a reason out there, I’m sure they’ll find it. It’s hard to not chalk it up to bad luck. We have a lot of guys that are really fast, maybe more tightly wound than other teams. I don’t even know if that means more chance for injury.”
Sosa debuts
Sosa touted a .331/.384/.549 slash line, 14 homers and 48 RBI in 62 games for Birmingham. He entered the game against the Orioles on Thursday in the sixth inning after Josh Harrison was hit by a pitch on the right elbow in the fifth. Manager Tony La Russa said he will start at least one game of the series.
“For right now, he’s going to help wherever he can,” La Russa said. “But when you’re putting together the year he has, you’ve got to believe he’s going to be an every-day player. He’s tearing the cover off the ball. The fact he can play three infield spots makes it easier.”
“This is a big opportunity,” said Sosa, who can play shortstop, second base and third base. “I’m just blessed for this opportunity. All the hard work I’ve put in day in and day out since I started playing baseball has now come to fruition.”
