Prior to tonight’s game against the Blue Jays, the White Sox made a roster move most people expected: Willy García was placed on the 7-day disabled list with a concussion. In the corresponding roster move, the White Sox called up another young talent: Nicky Delmonico from AAA Charlotte. Delmonico will make his major league debut tonight, batting 5th and playing LF.
Who is Nicky Delmonico?
Nicky Delmonico, 25, was the 6th round draft pick of the Baltimore Orioles in the 2011 MLB Draft. He was traded to Milwaukee in 2013 for Francisco Rodríguez and was released in 2015. The White Sox would sign him to a minor league contract 5 days after his release. His impressive Spring Training put him on White Sox fans’ radars to start the season.
In his minor league career (6 seasons, 490 games), Delmonico owns a slash line of .257/.341/.432 with 61 HR and 248 RBI. This season, Delmonico was named an International League All-Star to go along with a slash line of .262/.347/.421, 12 HR, and 45 RBI in 99 games.
How Much Can We Expect to See of Him?
Delmonico played primarily 3B with Charlotte, but also played 32 games in the outfield. With Matt Davidson currently playing well, Delmonico will assumedly be playing the majority of his games in the outfield, especially considering he took an outfielder’s (Willy García) spot on the roster. However, look for him to get spot starts at 3B and 1B in order to give the DH duty, or a day off, to either Davidson or Abreu from time to time. His performance over the next week could give the White Sox a tough decision to make regarding who to send down once García returns from the DL.
