Prior to tonight’s series opener against Minnesota, the White Sox made a flurry of roster moves:
- Reinstated SS Tim Anderson and INF Hanser Alberto from the 10-day injured list;
- Selected the contracts of RHP Alexander Colomé, OF Billy Hamilton and LHP Sammy Peralta from Class AAA Charlotte;
- Placed RHP Joe Kelly on the Paternity List;
- Placed INF/OF Romy Gonzalez on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to May 1) with right shoulder inflammation;
- Optioned OF Oscar Colás and INF Lenyn Sosa to Charlotte;
- Designated LHP Jake Diekman and RHP Frank German for assignment.
Anderson, 29, has been on the 10-day IL since April 11 after suffering a sprained left knee during an awkward play in Minnesota. The shortstop had gotten off to a solid start both at the plate and in the field, hitting .298/.327/.404 (14-for-47) while having yet to make an error at shortstop. With the team in desperate need of him, Anderson should be able to serve as the sparkplug atop the lineup.
Alberto, meanwhile, didn’t provide much in the way of positives for the White Sox before landing on the IL with a strained left quad. In eight games, the 30-year-old slashed just .211/.211/.368 (4-for-19) with one homer and four driven in while accumulating several costly errors in the field. Though his roster spot appeared to be in question following the emergence of Jake Burger, Romy Gonzalez and Lenyn Sosa haven’t done much in the way of proving themselves as bench pieces during Alberto’s absence. As long as Yoan Moncada remains on the IL, it’s likely we see Alberto stick around in a bench role.
Diekman, 36, hasn’t provided much to the White Sox since coming over in a trade for Reese McGuire with the Red Sox last summer. In 39 appearances over two seasons, the left-hander has a 7.04 ERA and has struggled mightily with walks. He may find a job elsewhere, however, the White Sox could simply no longer keep him in the bullpen or give him important innings.
Colomé, 34, has gone 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA (2 ER/8.0 IP), seven strikeouts and one save in eight appearances with Charlotte after signing a minors deal on April 6. Despite landing with several teams after his first stint with the club, Colomé’s time beyond the South Side hasn’t been as fruitful. He posted a 4.15 ERA with the Twins in 2021 and a 5.74 ERA with the Rockies in 2022. He signed a minor league deal with the Nationals this offseason but was released after not making the club after a rough Spring Training, 5.59 ERA in 9.2 innings. He will likely see low-leverage action until he can be trusted once again.
Hamilton, 32, is hitting .188 (11-for-48) with two doubles, one triple, two RBI, 11 runs scored, and three stolen bases in 17 games with Charlotte in 2023. Though his offensive numbers aren’t impressive, this move feels like it was done primarily so that Hamilton cannot exercise the opt-out clause that would allow him to search for MLB opportunities elsewhere. The White Sox will hope his callup can bring a bit of an energy spark to a clubhouse in desperate need of some life.
Peralta, 24, is 1-1 with a 3.52 ERA (6 ER/15.1 IP), three walks, and 15 strikeouts in eight relief appearances with the Knights this season. He has gone 10-7 with a 3.45 ERA (65 ER/169.1 IP) and 217 strikeouts (11.5 per 9.0 IP) in 91 games (three starts) over his four minor-league seasons.
As for Colas and Sosa, both players have struggled mightily to begin the season. It comes as no surprise that both players have been sent down to get some additional work in Charlotte. Colas hit just .211/.265/.276 in 84 plate appearances, while Sosa hit .151/.167/.245. Both players will benefit from consistent playing time and a bit more seasoning, as neither player has accumulated too many at-bats at the Triple-A level. It will be interesting to see when the White Sox bring either – or both – of these players back to Chicago.
With the moves, the White Sox 40-man roster increases to 40. Let’s see if this re-shuffling can help save a sinking season.
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They should have kept Leury Garcia.
This is all too little too late. The damage has been done. They no depth in their system. Hamilton was hitting .188 at AAA. And, Colome’ and Peralta were not lighting it up either. This team is done, until they get new ownership.