Edwin

Encarnacion

With it becoming clear that there will be no universal DH in 2021, the 38-year-old free agent slugger might not have much of a market here at the tail end of spring training. Encarnacion slashed .157/.250/.377 with 10 home runs and 19 RBI in 44 games (181 plate appearances) last season for the White Sox.

It’s been a slow-moving offseason so far for Encarnacion, though interest in him probably will grow significantly if MLB and the MLBPA announce that the universal DH is going to remain intact for the 2021 campaign. The veteran slugger did not play well last year with the White Sox, but he averaged a shiny .892 OPS with 37 home runs and 106 RBI per year between 2012-2019. He turned 38 years old in early January.

The White Sox declined their $12 million club option on Encarnacion in late October after he batted just .157/.250/.377 with 10 homers over 181 plate appearances this season. He turns 38 in January and could be nearing the end, but he’s already training in hopes of showing he still has something left in the tank.

This one wasn’t a difficult call. Encarnacion hit 10 home runs this season but batted just .157/.250/.377 overall, and he will turn 38 in January. He should be able to find a job again in 2021, although it would certainly help his chances if the National League keeps the designated hitter.

Yasmani Grandal took a turn at DH in Tuesday’s Game 1 victory, but he’ll catch Wednesday, with James McCann on the bench. The full Game 2 lineup for the White Sox as they look to sweep the best-of-three: Tim Anderson SS, Yoan Moncada 3B, Yasmani Grandal C, Jose Abreu 1B, Edwin Encarnacion DH, Luis Robert CF, Adam Engel RF, Leury Garcia LF, Nick Madrigal 2B. Dallas Keuchel is pitching against Chris Bassitt.

Encarnacion connected on an offering from Archie Bradley to make it 7-3 Reds in the eighth inning. The long-time slugger has reached double digits with 10 round-trippers, and it’s the 18th RBI for the 37-year-old. The power is obviously still there -- Encarnacion is on pace for a 30-homer season in a normal season -- but a .164 average and .257 on-base percentage isn’t exactly getting the job done.

Encarnacion tied the game at 2-2 with a solo homer in the fifth off of Kenta Maeda. It’s the 17th RBI on the year for the DH, and he’s gone deep nine times in his first season with the White Sox. Even with the round-tripper, Encarnacion has been disappointing with a .172/.271/.406 line in 34 games.

Encarnacion drove in a run with a single, but the big blow was a three-run shot off of the normally-dominant Josh Staumont that was his eighth round-tripper of the year. That’s the second homer in his last three games, and the fourth in 10 appearances. He’s still struggling with the average as seen in his .179 mark, but the slugging percentage is up to .443, and Encarnacion should be able to provide some run-production who can take the average “hit” over the final 21 days.

Encarnacion’s blast off of Brady Singer in the fourth inning gave the White Sox a 3-1 lead at the time, but the Pale Hose’s bullpen had a rough day after that. The designated hitter is still batting just .181, but he’s now up to six home runs after going deep four times across his last eight contests.

Encarnacion, who has dealt with some shoulder inflammation, came into this one with a .154 average and two longballs in 15 games. He’s healthier now, so increased production should be expected. He homered off Casey Mize in the second and Geovany Soto in the eighth tonight.