May out, Willy Garcia in for Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are determined to move away from bringing players to the major leagues before they are ready.
Players such as Jacob May, for instance.
Entering spring training as the fourth center fielder on the depth chart behind Charlie Tilson, Peter Bourjos and Adam Engel, May hit well in the Cactus League (.319).
He also benefited from Tilson's foot injury and Bourjos' somewhat surprising trade to the Tampa Bay Rays late in camp.
May came out of Arizona as the White Sox's starter in center, but he opened the season with no hits in his first 26 at-bats and eventually lost his job to converted infielder Leury Garcia. After Monday's loss to the Royals, May was optioned to Class AAA Charlotte.
It is the proper level for the 25-year-old outfielder, and May knows it.
"I definitely have to get better," May told reporters. "Spring is one thing, but when the lights turn on, these guys play for keeps and you've got to be able to compete. I've got to go down and get better."
In his monthlong stay with the Sox, May held his own on the defensive end but was 2-for-36 (.056) with 3 RBI and 17 strikeouts in 36 at-bats. May was expected to be a basestealing threat, but he had just 2 hits and 3 walks.
"He might have been a little overmatched," manager Rick Renteria said. "That's just the bottom line. He had a great spring, showed a lot of hard work, tenacity, even going and working with the guys and trying to get himself back on track, trying to keep his confidence up."
Willy Garcia is back up from Charlotte, and he takes May's roster spot.
Garcia was with the White Sox for three games in April when Melky Cabrera went on paternity leave, but he still has plenty to prove if he wants to stick with the Sox. Claimed off waivers from Pittsburgh in early January, Garcia was rated the Pirates' No. 12 overall prospect by Baseball America before the 2015 and '16 seasons.
But like most young hitters, Garcia has had trouble making consistent contact, and that's why he was designated for assignment by Pittsburgh on Dec. 31.
While he has a strong throwing arm and good power, Garcia struck out 130 or more times in four of five full minor-league seasons with the Pirates.
Starting in left field for the White Sox in Tuesday night's 6-0 win at Kansas City, Garcia picked up his first major-league RBI with a groundout in the second inning.
In the sixth, the 6-foot-2, 215-pounder showed why he is a fringe prospect, swinging and missing at two Chris Young pitches that were well off the plate and going down on strikes.