The White Sox are still trying to solve the Eloy Jiménez-sized hole in left field, but at least Tony La Russa got another option to plug in there Friday.
The team activated Billy Hamilton from the injured list ahead of the start of a three-game weekend series against the Texas Rangers. The famed speedster was on the shelf with a strained hamstring.
Hamilton can now return to being part of the mix as the White Sox use a by-committee approach to filling the void created when Jiménez suffered a ruptured pectoral tendon near the end of spring training. La Russa has turned to the likes of Andrew Vaughn, Leury García and even Jake Lamb, as well as Hamilton prior to his injury.
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Before going on the injured list, Hamilton was off to a decent start at the plate, with three hits, two walks, an RBI, a couple runs scored and a pair of stolen bases in his 13 trips to the plate in six games.
The White Sox have been fortunate to see Yermín Mercedes step up in the DH role and help make up for the loss of Jiménez offensively, but the team is still searching for a solution in left field. As of this writing, White Sox right fielders ranked 26th out of 30 major league teams with a .499 OPS this season.
Hamilton, of course, is a unique threat with what he can do on the base paths. He has 307 stolen bases in his big league career. Thought to be of great situational value when he was added during the spring, the injury to Jiménez could wind up seeing him play a larger role over the course of the season.
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The White Sox also expect to get Adam Engel back from his own hamstring strain soon. His return figures to be a big help in stabilizing things in left field.
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