White Sox's Madrigal out for season after hamstring surgery

The White Sox were holding out some hope Nick Madrigal would be able to get by with rest and rehabilitation and possibly return later this year.

Season-ending surgery was the more likely option, and that happened Tuesday at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

Drs. Nik Verma and Shane Nho repaired the proximal tendon tears in his right hamstring and Madrigal is out until spring training, where he is expected to be without restrictions.

It's another tough injury loss for the Sox, but manager Tony La Russa is taking a different view.

"I always think you're better off with the positive side," he said. "There's always a positive and that is, to have the surgery I think (what) it does really long-term for him and for us, it clears away some uncertainty of he tries to come back and there's scar tissue.

"I think this way, it's a way to put it behind him and he can start fresh. I'm almost certain it means he won't play for us this year unless he has a miracle recovery and gets there in October. I think it's a real positive development, the surgery went well."

Madrigal was leading the White Sox with a .305 batting average and his knack for making contact was an important dimension for the offense.

Sox general manager Rick Hahn said he's open to exploring trades for a new second baseman, and the Pirates' Adam Frazier is an obvious match on that front.

It's been less than a week since Madrigal went down, but Danny Mendicks's all-around game has helped ease the major loss. La Russa is confident Mendick and Leury Garcia can combine to help the White Sox move forward at second base.

"I think one of the hardest things in baseball is coming off the bench," Mendick said. "The guys that do that super well are just unbelievable because being in that position, I understand how hard it is. So to get some rhythm, get some at-bats under my belt, that's kind of what you want to do. I want to get out there and take advantage of the opportunity."