May daze: Chicago White Sox rookie still looking for first hit

The Chicago White Sox have struggled to score runs over the first two weeks of the season, and outside of Avisail Garcia and Matt Davidson every hitter has plenty of room to improve.

That includes Jose Abreu, Todd Frazier, Tim Anderson and Melky Cabrera, but they've all established track records in the major leagues and are expected to pull out of their collective slumps as the season progresses.

Jacob May might have to find his offensive game back at Class AAA Charlotte.

Entering spring training, May was fourth on the depth chart among White Sox center fielders, behind Charlie Tilson, Peter Bourjos and Adam Engel.

Tilson went down with a stress reaction in his right foot early in camp, and there is still no timetable for his return.

Bourjos, a veteran who signed a minor-league contract with the Sox in late January and figured to benefit most from Tilson's injury, was traded to Tampa Bay at the end of training camp.

Engel didn't hit in spring training and was optioned to Charlotte, so May suddenly found himself the White Sox's starter in center after hitting .319 in the Cactus League.

“I had nothing to lose,” said May, the Sox's third-round draft pick in 2013 out of Coastal Carolina University. “I came into spring feeling personally as a dark horse in this whole thing. It gave me a little chip on my shoulder. People didn't expect too much from me. I know the organization knows what I'm capable of doing, which is all that really matters.”

The White Sox expect May to use his speed and play strong defense, which he has. They expect him to hit enough to stay afloat, which he hasn't.

In Monday night's 7-4 loss to red-hot New York at Yankee Stadium, May was 0-for-3. For the season, the rookie is 0-for-24 with 9 strikeouts.

Manager Rick Renteria sat May in three straight games earlier in the road trip, but May has yet to respond.

“Try to manage that so he still gets enough at-bats and do the things he needs to do to improve and know he's part of us,” Renteria told reporters.

While winning their eighth straight, the Yankees jumped out to a 7-0 lead over the Sox. A poor fielding play by Abreu at first base opened the door for New York's 5-run third inning, which was sparked by Matt Holliday's 3-run homer off Derek Holland (1-2).

Yolmer Sanchez hit a 3-run homer for the White Sox in the seventh inning. In the ninth, Sanchez singled and scored on Kevan Smith's double.