Before this afternoon’s matchup against the Minnesota Twins, the White Sox made five roster moves:
- Elor Jimenez activated from the 60-Day Injured List
- Jake Burger to 10-Day Injured List with bone bruise in his right hand
- Vince Velasquez to 15-Day Injured List with blister on index finger
- Jimmy Lambert recalled from AAA Charlotte
- Danny Mendick placed on 60-Day Injured List with torn ACL
The big news here is Jimenez, who will be making his return following surgery on a torn hamstring tendon back in late April. He was struggling to start the season, posting just a .590 OPS in 39 plate appearances on the season. His rehab stint started and ended abruptly multiple times, and in 63 plate appearances in Charlotte, he slashed .246/.317/.351. For the White Sox, they are hoping Jimenez can find some of the power that has been lost from this White Sox lineup.
In his absence, Jake Burger was one of a few players who really stepped up to help fill the gap left by Jimenez. Burger is hitting .250/.302/.458 on the season with a 115 wRC+. With the return of Yoan Moncada and the rise of Josh Harrison, Burger hasn’t been finding the field as much as previous. However, once he returns, he will continue to be an important part of this White Sox roster.
As for Velasquez, the blister may explain some of the recent poor performance, but it has largely been a season to forget for the right-hander. He has a 5.21 ERA/4.70 FIP on the season, and after posting four straight scoreless outings, Velasquez has given up six runs in his past three outings (12.46 ERA). Hopefully, he can find his footing once he returns from his injury. He will be replaced at current by Jimmy Lambert, who has had some impressive outings out of the bullpen in recent appearances.
With the Mendick move to the 60-Day IL opening up a spot for Jimenez to return, the White Sox’ 40-man roster remains at 40 players. Hopefully, Jimenez can add some much-needed power back to a struggling White Sox lineup.
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Featured Image: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
