The White Sox announced the group of players who will work at the team's alternate training site in Schaumburg.
With the minor league season delayed until later this spring, major league teams will again keep a group of advanced minor leaguers — guys who might need to be utilized at the big league level — fresh by sending them to alternate training sites.
In a new wrinkle for 2021, the squads deployed to those sites will be allowed to play games against other teams. The White Sox alternate-site squad is set to play nine games against the Cubs' alternate-site group. Four of those games will be played in Schaumburg, four in South Bend, Indiana (where the Cubs are training) and one more at Guaranteed Rate Field on the South Side.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Chicago sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
RELATED: Why La Russa, Sox refuse to panic after ugly Angels series
The White Sox announced 26 players that will be part of that group: pitchers Zack Burdi, Ryan Burr, Will Carter, Danny Dopico, Tayron Guerrero, Tyler Johnson, Reynaldo López, Kade McClure, Alex McRae, Connor Sadzeck, Jonathan Stiever, Mike Wright, Kodi Medeiros and Nik Turley; catchers Carlos Pérez and Seby Zavala; infielders Tim Beckham, Marco Hernández, Danny Mendick, Zach Remillard, Matt Reynolds and Gavin Sheets; and outfielders Luis González, Mikie Mahtook, Blake Rutherford and Nick Williams.
Several of those names are very familiar to White Sox fans, who have been following the careers of some of these prospects for years.
Certain players figure to have a better chance to receive a major league call-up sooner rather than later.
MLB
Mendick was a Gold Glove finalist at second base last season and would figure to be the first guy phoned should the White Sox need another infielder on the big league squad. López and Stiever were both passed over for bullpen spots on the Opening Day roster, the White Sox opting not to carry a traditional long man and instead keep them stretched out as starters should an injury necessitate a fill-in for the starting rotation.
Burdi, Burr, McRae, Zavala and González all made brief appearances with the big league club in recent seasons. Wright, Beckham, Williams and Mahtook all have considerable major league experience and could be called on should the White Sox depth really be tested.
Click here to subscribe to the White Sox Talk Podcast for free.