Likely all-star Garcia close to return to White Sox's lineup
Without even being asked about his sore left knee before Saturday's game against the Texas Rangers, Avisail Garcia did a quick sprint through the Chicago White Sox's clubhouse.
"I feel better," he said. "Way, way better now. I can move now my knee better."
Garcia was not feeling good on Wednesday night, when he avoided being picked off first base in a game against the Yankees.
As he got back to the bag, Garcia twisted the knee and had to leave the game.
An MRI taken Thursday came back clean, but Garcia has sat out three straight games. He hopes to be back in the Sox's lineup Sunday or Monday.
"That's good news, that's accurate," manager Rick Renteria said. "I think we're just taking it a little slow. He feels good, he said he felt good. At the earliest tomorrow, and hopefully at the latest the beginning of the series in Oakland.
"I think he obviously felt something. But just by the way it's getting treated and the way he's starting to feel, he said he's progressing really quickly."
Even if he is not in the starting lineup Sunday, it's going to be a big day for Garcia.
The 26-year-old right fielder ranks fifth in the American League with a .318 batting average. Among qualified major-league hitters, Garcia leads the majors with a .429 average against left-handed pitchers.
With a .296 batting average, 15 homers and 54 RBI, first baseman Jose Abreu could be headed for his second All-Star Game.
Abreu represented the American League in 2014, his first year with the White Sox.
In all likelihood, Garcia is going to be the Sox's lone representative in the July 11 Midsummer Classic, which will be played at Marlins Park in Miami.
Garcia is not going to take any bows until the announcement is official, but he already has a lot to be proud of this season.
Determined to use all of his obvious tools after back-to-back bad years with the Sox, the 6-foot-4, 230-pounder played winter ball in his native Venezuela and worked on his overall game.
"I'm in a better position right now because I've been learning," Garcia said. "I'm still learning, still working. I'm going to try to get better every year, every day."
Garcia not only worked on his game over the winter, he got himself into better physical shape while altering his diet.
Once the season started, Garcia's swing was noticeably quicker.
"I think he's a little leaner," White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier said. "That helped him. He took into consideration where he needs to be. In this game you can't take anything for granted. In the off-season, he worked his tail off to get quicker and learned what pitchers are trying to do to him.
"He's not missing many of those pitches that he should be hitting. He's exciting to watch and he's playing every game like it's his last game. He's showing where he wants to be in baseball and having an all-star caliber year. Only good things are ahead to him."