With Moncada on comeback trail, does Burger have staying power?
Injured third baseman Yoan Moncada (oblique strain) is set to start a rehabilitation assignment with Class AAA Charlotte Saturday, so his return to the White Sox's lineup is likely coming soon.
When Moncada rejoins the Sox, he is going to be a fixture in the starting lineup.
As for Jake Burger, who has been filling in at third, his playing time is undoubtedly going to diminish.
Is there any chance he'll play second base for the White Sox?
"When push comes to shove, playing either one of those guys, Burger on the infield or bring (Andrew) Vaughn in, I would hesitate," manager Tony La Russa said. "But it wouldn't prevent it."
Burger did play 5 games at second base for Class AAA Charlotte last season and another game there this year before joining the Sox's Opening Day roster.
He's made 2 errors in 36⅓ innings at the position, the main reason La Russa is hesitant to use Burger at second.
The White Sox do like having his power bat in the lineup, so Burger is an obvious designated hitter candidate when Moncada returns.
The Sox's first-round draft pick (No. 11 overall) in 2017, Burger missed the next three seasons due to injuries and COVID-19, but he showed little rust last year when coming up from Charlotte and playing 15 games.
Getting another shot with the White Sox due to Moncada's injury, Burger is showing he deserves to be on the roster no matter what.
"I feel more composed," said Burger, who has 2 home runs and 5 RBI in 15 games while batting .277 this season. "I feel my routine is a lot better and I understand the nuances and the amount of work it takes to put into it. Overall, I feel more comfortable. It's been really nice with obviously Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson and guys like that always are going to help me through a lot of things."
First W:
After working his way up through the minor-league system and earning a spot in the White Sox's bullpen during spring training, Bennett Sousa is trying to keep the same mindset.
"I mean, it's just like any other season, even in the minor leagues," the left-hander said. "You come to the field every day ready to pitch. Some days you pitch, some days you don't. It's kind of been the same thing here. It's been nice. I've pitched in a lot of games so far, so it's been nice getting more experience. I'm learning something new and adjusting and getting better."
On Wednesday, Sousa pitched two-thirds of an inning and earned his first major-league win.
"I just kept the lineup card," Sousa said. "They gave that to me. That was really it. First win, that's awesome. It was just good to get the team win after the losing streak we had there for a little bit."