Versatile Saladino just happy to have a role with Chicago White Sox

In 2016, Tyler Saladino reported to spring training and was at the top of the depth chart at shortstop for the Chicago White Sox.

Viewing themselves as bona fide contenders and not 100 percent sold on Saladino's ability, the Sox signed veteran shortstop Jimmy Rollins a week into camp.

Rollins was a nonfactor, and he was released in early June.

That should have reopened the door for Saladino, but top prospect Tim Anderson was called up from Class AAA Charlotte, he stepped right in at shortstop and played well enough as a rookie to land a six-year contract this spring.

But Saladino didn't flinch when Rollins arrived, and he handled himself the same way when Anderson joined the White Sox.

This season, the versatile Saladino is the Sox's starting baseman, but it's only a matter of time before Yoan Moncada comes up from Charlotte and takes his job.

Saladino is not worried.

"That's one of those uncontrollable things," he said. "As a player, you obviously want to be on the field every day but at the same time, I'm always grateful for being here with everybody. I just try to make the most out of every day I'm here.

"If I'm in the lineup, I try to do everything I can to help the team. If I'm not, I still have a job to do. You can always come into the game later and be a deciding factor. I just try to take the situation for whatever it is and make the most of it."

Saladino might not be a starter for the White Sox down the road, but he is definitely viewed as an important part of the roster.

"He's a baseball player," manager Rick Renteria said. "I think if I hit him ninth, he wouldn't care as long as he played. He's going to give you as good of an at-bat as anybody can give you regardless of the slot he's hitting in."

Saladino has been the Sox's primary leadoff hitter through the first two weeks of the season, and he has a .250/.400/.333 hitting line in the difficult role.

"I love batting leadoff," Saladino said. "When I played in high school, I was predominantly the leadoff hitter. I always felt like if I led off well at the top of the order, whether it was my first at-bat or each time the lineup turned over, I felt like if I would just be a tough out and find my way on base, things would work out. I kind of look at it the same way now."

With Moncada expected to join the Sox at some point this season, Saladino's versatility will again be a factor.

Not only can he play all four infield positions, the 27-year-old Saladino is able to play anywhere in the outfield and he is also the White Sox's emergency catcher.

When he was playing travel baseball back home in San Diego, Saladino credits his father Art for helping him become a jack of all trades.

"He was always my coach all the way up to high school, and we had a lot of fun," Saladino said. "A lot of times during games my dad would bring us in for a huddle and say, 'All right, everybody run to a spot.' It would catch us off guard and everyone would just scramble and wherever you ended up is where you played.

"My whole childhood up to high school was having fun playing baseball. If you were, say, in left field and you didn't want to play there, you would just have to run faster to get to the place you wanted to be the next time. That's how we all ended up being able to play everywhere. I'm still playing the same game, so I still approach it the same way."