Sox place Mazara on injured list, drop final exhibition game
Ruled “under the weather” the last three days, new White Sox right fielder Nomar Mazara landed on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday.
No official reason was given for the move, but the Sox placed Yoan Moncada on the IL earlier in summer camp and the third baseman said he had coronavirus when he returned a week ago.
Mazara is not expected to be in the White Sox's starting lineup Friday night when the regular season opens against the Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field.
“We do have options,” Sox manager Rick Renteria said when asked about replacing Mazara. “We're comfortable with the options we have and we're going to proceed with those options.”
Adam Engel is the likely top choice to replace Mazara. A standout defensive center fielder, Engel can also play either corner spot.
Nicky Delmonico is another candidate to replace Mazara, and he started in right for the White Sox in Wednesday night's exhibition finale against the Brewers at Guaranteed Rate Field.
The Sox lost to Milwaukee 5-3, but the game was called after the top of the ninth inning. Delmonico hit a 2-run homer to spark the offense.
Carlos Rodon started for the White Sox and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits over 5 innings. Coming back from Tommy John surgery, Rodon had his old velocity and finished with 7 strikeouts.
"Getting a chance to not only be able to pitch and come back, but to be able to start the season with my teammates, is a blessing,” said Rodon, who also had shoulder surgery in 2018. “I've been saying this a long time, it feels like it's been three or four years, but it feels like I've got something to prove, just being hurt all the time. It's not fun, that's for sure."
Acquired from the Rangers in a Dec. 10 trade, Mazara averaged 20 home runs over four seasons with Texas and he had 101 RBI in 2017.
“He was doing well,” Renteria said. “He was putting in his time. He put in his time in Arizona. He continued to stay active (with) the shutdown that we had. Obviously, doing everything as safely as possible and progressing well. He's a young man who is going to be extremely helpful to us. The sooner we get him back the better.”
• Yoan Moncada was back in the starting lineup Wednesday night vs. Milwaukee after also playing against the Cubs Monday night.
Even though he missed the first two weeks of summer camp with the coronavirus, Moncada is on track to play the season opener Friday night.
“It's just amazing the talent that he has,” manager Rick Renteria said. “You obviously see him performing even though he has been down for a while. He seemingly is falling out of bed and hitting, doing the things that he does. It's going to be more to do with how tired he gets physically.”
• Even without fans in the stands, the national anthem is being played before major-league exhibition games and that will continue through the regular season.
Players from the Reds, Giants, Angels and other teams have been kneeling to support Black Lives Matter, and manager Rick Renteria is offering his full support if any White Sox players choose to take a knee.
“You can't limit the ability for people to act as they would, as long as it's in a respectful fashion,” Renteria said. “Whatever they do I will back them, absolutely. I think that everybody will be guided by their own feelings, right? The one thing I know about the men that I have here on the club is they are very respectful people and again, everybody has the right. We can't have it both ways in our society, right?”