The White Sox are just seven games into their 2021 season, and they've already sent three outfielders to the injured list and seen three players hit the IL with strained hamstrings.
Billy Hamilton went on the 10-day injured list ahead of Thursday's home opener after suffering a strained left hamstring in Wednesday's game in Seattle. Hamilton stole third base in the fifth inning and came up grabbing his leg. He stayed on the bases and ended up scoring on Yasmani Grandal's bases-loaded walk. But he was replaced by Andrew Vaughn in left field shortly thereafter.
Hamilton was a surprise mid-camp addition during the spring, the White Sox setting up to take advantage of his famous speed and base-stealing ability as they chase a championship in 2021. But the injury to Eloy Jiménez put more than just situational usage on Hamilton's plate. He appeared in six of the team's first seven games of the regular season, starting three of them.
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The White Sox are now down Jiménez, Hamilton and Adam Engel in their outfield, testing their depth. The team called Nick Williams up from the alternate training site in Schaumburg, and Williams was in the starting lineup for the home opener playing left field.
Williams played in 290 games for the Philadelphia Phillies during the 2017, 2018 and 2019 seasons. He has a career .254/.313/.420 slash line.
Williams is the latest addition to the mix of players being used to fill in for Jiménez in left field, joining Leury García and Vaughn. Reserve infielder Jake Lamb has also said he's practicing in the outfield and would be willing to play there if needed. But filling that spot has been a challenge with Engel, their fourth outfielder, on the mend from his own hamstring strain.
MLB
Hamilton, Engel and shortstop Tim Anderson, who hit the IL on Wednesday, are all sidelined with hamstring strains at the moment.
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