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More medical woes for White Sox - Mendick out for season with knee injury

Three hours before Thursday night's game against the Orioles at Guaranteed Rate Field, White Sox outfielder Adam Engel talked about the right hamstring injury that landed him on the 10-day injured list.

A little later, manager Tony La Russa talked about center fielder Luis Robert sitting out the series opener against Baltimore with an undisclosed leg injury, Andrew Vaughn moving from the outfield to first base due to leg soreness and Jose Abreu making his second straight start at designated hitter due to hip soreness.

Last but not least, infielder Danny Mendick - propped up on crutches - discussed a right knee injury suffered Wednesday that is going to end his season.

All in all, pretty much a typical day for a Sox team that has been ravaged by injuries since late in spring training.

The addition of Engel and Mendick increases the number of White Sox players on the IL to 10. Closer Liam Hendriks (right forearm strain), catcher Yasmani Grandal (back), third baseman Yoan Moncada (right hamstring strain) and left fielder Eloy Jimenez (right hamstring tendon tear) are the notable names trying to get healthy.

As for Mendick, his star was rising after he successfully filled in for injured shortstop Tim Anderson and Moncada.

Playing short Wednesday against the Blue Jays, Mendick collided with left fielder Adam Haseley chasing a flyball in foul territory.

Mendick had to be helped off the field and tests revealed a torn ACL that will require season-ending surgery.

"I didn't think it was going to be that bad initially," Mendick said. "There was probably some adrenaline in there, but when I was down, it definitely hurt and I couldn't put any pressure on it. The MRI came back and they said I had a torn ACL. I was like, 'All right, there's a plan. I have to figure it out and rehab it and be back.'"

While playing shortstop, third base, second and an inning in left field over 31 games for the Sox, the 28-year-old Mendick hit a solid .289/.343/.443 with 3 home runs and 15 RBI.

"That's not going to change," he said. "I understood my swing and how I wanted to attack balls. Now I have to recover my knee. I get to heal, get stronger, be ready for spring training. I can implement all that with having a strong physical physique."

Engel missed the first two months of last season with a right hamstring injury and sat out another couple weeks later in the year with the same issue.

This time around, he's not expecting to miss nearly as much time. Engel said he felt something in his right hamstring running to first base early in Wednesday's game vs. Toronto.

"Waking up today, definitely sore but nowhere near as bad as what I experienced last year," Engel said. "So I'm optimistic that it should be on the shorter side of an IL stint and it shouldn't take too long to get back healthy, get back out there."

Robert is expected to play against Baltimore Friday and Abreu and Vaughn appear to be healthy enough to stay on the field.

All of the injuries are a big reason the White Sox have underachieved so far this season, not that manager Tony La Russa is dwelling on it.

"I haven't had a chance to sit there and reflect on it," La Russa said. "Everybody has gone through it. Everybody has injuries, so same old stuff. You concentrate on what you've got."

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