Getting healthy: Moncada, Kelly join White Sox off IL
Hit with one injury after another over the first four weeks of the season, the White Sox turned the tables a bit and welcomed back two key players before Monday night's game against Cleveland.
Third baseman Yoan Moncada, who went down with a right oblique strain late in spring training, was activated after hitting .318 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI in 6 rehab games with Class AAA Charlotte.
"I'm 100%," Moncada said through a translator. "I don't feel anything and I'm ready to go. I thought it was going to be less time but it was more than that. I'm just really happy to be back with the team."
Moncada hit in the second spot against the Guardians, and the switch-hitter gives the Sox some needed help from the left side.
"The potential is something really significant," manager Tony La Russa said. "Switch-hitter, he can run, working an at-bat, start a rally, add to it or finish it. In the second spot he breaks up the right-handers. That's where he starts, we'll see how it goes. But he's capable of hitting anywhere, the middle, too. I don't feel like there is a matchup that gives him a problem."
Joe Kelly joined the White Sox's bullpen just under two months after signing a two-year, $17 million contract. The 33-year-old reliever was held back in spring training due to a right biceps nerve issue and he made 3 rehab appearances for Charlotte and had 3 strikeouts over 3 scoreless innings.
Last season, Kelly was 2-0 with a 2.86 ERA in 48 games with the Dodgers.
Burger demoted:
To clear a roster spot for Yoan Moncada, third baseman Jake Burger was optioned to Class AAA Charlotte Monday.
In 21 games with the White Sox, the 26-year-old Burger hit .239/.276/.352 with 2 home runs and 7 RBI.
"It's a little tough with 14 pitchers on a 26-man roster to have too many guys who are limited in their positional versatility," general manager Rick Hahn said. "But Jake filled in very well for us, showed that he belongs as a viable big leaguer. Pretty confident we'll see him again contributing to us at some point here over the course of the summer."
Bummer sidelined:
Relief pitcher Aaron Bummer is on the 15-day injured list with a right knee strain. He felt something during Friday night's appearance against the Red Sox.
"It didn't pop so I didn't think it was anything," Bummer said. "It was on the second to last pitch in Boston. I kind of flinched, did a little double take at what I did. I didn't feel it pop, I didn't feel anything. Just kind of continued through the next pitch, felt the same thing and thankfully got the guy out."
In 12 games, Bummer is 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA.
"I felt like I was starting to throw the ball a lot more the way that I wanted to in the last four outings I had," he said. "It's unfortunate timing in that aspect, because I really wanted to build off of those last four."