Moncada likely to miss Tigers series with injured hand

Share

The Chicago White Sox are likely to be without their third baseman for the upcoming series against the Detroit Tigers.

Yoán Moncada was removed from Thursday's win over the Minnesota Twins after awkwardly falling while sliding into third base, sustaining what the White Sox called a bruised right hand.

After the game, manager Tony La Russa updated Moncada's status, confident that his team would have to play the next three games without another one of its most important bats.

RELATED: Liam Hendriks 'not a fan' of ex-teammate Josh Donaldson

"He's got some swelling. Looks like he'll probably miss the weekend series," La Russa said. "But evidently, by saying that, it means that we think he could be ready by the time we go to Minnesota. So he's sore, and it's going to affect swinging and throwing. We'll do something about it. Have to play without him."

Time will tell whether Moncada makes it back in time for the start of another three-game set with the Twins on Monday.

In the meantime, the White Sox have dwindling third-base options on their major league roster. La Russa deployed Andrew Vaughn at third in Moncada's immediate absence Thursday, with Danny Mendick already playing second base for the injured Nick Madrigal and Leury García dealing with his own ailment, a sore shoulder that prevented him from playing in all but the final innings of Thursday's game.

That situation has led to online speculation that the White Sox might call on prospect Jake Burger, who has swung a terrific bat at Triple-A Charlotte this season, earning him a spot in the Futures Game. Burger is a third baseman by trade but has been playing second base of late, too.

It's an option for the White Sox, though it would require a roster move, with a corresponding deduction from the active roster perhaps not obvious should Moncada's injury not require an injured-list stint.

"Just when I was coming out to have this conversation, Rick (Hahn) was in there with Jeremy (Haber, assistant general manager), so we’re going to look at all the options and see how we get it covered," La Russa said. "You’ve got Danny and you’ve got Leury, and both of them play third base. One of them has to play second.

"I don’t think Andrew (is a preferred option). He’s done so well in left field and can play first base. I think you do it (use him at third) on an emergency basis. They’ll figure something out."

Click here to follow the White Sox Talk Podcast.

Contact Us