“I’m back.”
It’s arguably one of the most iconic lines in Chicago sports history, and it was delivered once again today in even more dramatic fashion. Less than 24 hours after he announced he was stepping away from baseball, Yermin Mercedes had a change in heart and will be in uniform for Triple-A Charlotte this evening.
The rookie has since deleted his original retirement announcement and replaced it with a new post on his official Instagram account. Complete with a flaming phoenix, the White Sox designated hitter apologized to his family, fans, and the White Sox organization for the saga over the past day. You can read his statement in its entirety below:
The translated caption reads: “I’m never going to give up I lasted 10 years in the minor league I have always understood that the process is great but the talent & what I have shown speak for themselves with the greatest humility I am speaking from the heart My dream is to be an established player in the major leagues. I have always asked God to give me the opportunity that he gave me 3 months ago. I owe myself to my family, to my organization and to my fans. Something I have failed him I have baseball in my blood ? And now Yermin Mercedes is missing Thank you my God for guiding me to the right path and making the right decision Everyone who is going through my situation Hold on to the hand of God that He can Everything and forget about the criticism and the bad comments that will always exist To trample on one’s personality .. God bless y’all?? I love everybody I’m Back ⚾️”
It seemed apparent something was off with the usual jovial Mercedes yesterday once he deleted all of the White Sox-related material on his account. He then hinted at retirement on his story just hours before delivering his unusual message. The organization issued a statement on the matter a short while after the post was made, saying they had not received any sort of official communication from Yermin regarding his future plans.
After last night’s loss to Minnesota, manager Tony La Russa learned of Mercedes’ post and said he would reach out to the rookie.
Perhaps La Russa, who drew a lot of unnecessary blame for Mercedes’ initial retirement message, was able to let cooler heads prevail and speak candidly with the since demoted Mercedes. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment and let emotions get the best of you, as appears to be the case here.
Since being sent down, the “Yerminator” been slashing a strong .298/.365/.632 with 4 home runs and 10 RBI over his last 15 games with the Knights. He even started at catcher in Wednesday night’s game, going 0-for-2 before being replaced by Nate Nolan prior to his sixth inning at-bat. He is currently not in Charlotte’s starting lineup tonight, though he figures to be available if needed.
It was just months ago where in the absence of outfielder Eloy Jimenez, Mercedes provided a massive spark to the Sox offense. The 28-year-old went .415/.455/.659 with five doubles, five home runs, 16 RBI, and 10 runs scored in April alone, earning him Rookie of the Month honors. Obviously, he was not able to keep up the hot start as he struggled mightily pretty much ever since then. After hitting a mere .196/.264/.272 over his last 47 games, the Sox decided they had seen enough and sent him to their affiliate.
We’ll see if anything else transpires in the future. Until then, it seems as though this debacle has reached its conclusion. There’s never a dull day in the White Sox organization.
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Featured Photo: White Sox/Twitter
