The Chicago White Sox received a couple of encouraging injury updates on Friday.
Although the Chicago White Sox have already been officially eliminated from playoff contention, the team is still fighting hard under interim manager Grady Sizemore. They did lose to the Detroit Tigers, a division rival, 4-2 on Friday. Yet, the roster and White Sox fans received some good news from GM Chris Getz involving a couple of injured players. Both third baseman Yoan Moncada and starting pitcher Michael Soroka are slated to start rehab assignments soon, according to MLB.com’s Scott Merkin on X, formerly Twitter.
The team is 42.5 games behind the division leading Cleveland Guardians and is already looking towards 2025 and beyond. This is the first year of a rebuild led by Getz. Sizemore is getting a shot as manager after Getz fired former skipper Pedro Grifol a few weeks ago. Now is the time to see what possible long-term building blocks the major league roster possesses. Everyone knows about starting pitcher Garrett Crochet and outfielder Luis Robert Jr., but they need more talent.
Moving forward as the season progresses, Soroka and Moncada could be two names to watch. Both players have had success in the past yet have disappointed recently. Soroka is currently 0-10 with an ERA over five, so the 27-year-old is still looking for his first win in a White Sox uniform. Moncada came over in the Chris Sale trade a few years ago, and never really hit the lofty status he had as a prospect. Hopefully, he can finish 2024 strong.
Yoan Moncada, Michael Soroka set to White Sox soon
Moncada (60-Day IL with a thigh injury) and Soroka (15-Day IL with a shoulder ailment) have been out for a while now, so they should help Chicago win at least a couple more games with the veterans once they return. According to Getz, both of them will head to Charlotte for their rehab assignments.
Based on that fact, they aren’t too far away from returning. Charlotte is the organization’s Triple-A team, the final step before the majors. Hopefully Soroka and Moncada have strong performances with the minor league club and return to the Windy City with momentum on their side.
Sizemore will look to help the team finish strong as well, especially if their performance will help him become the long-term manager. A former star player with the Cleveland Indians, he had his career cut short by injuries of his own. Since entering the coaching profession, his rise to manager has been a rapid one.
Yet, one can make the argument that his young age is a good fit for the youthful roster that Getz is building. There are many talented players coming through the minor league system, and it will be up to Sizemore and the coaching staff to help them adjust to the major league level. Will the interim manager be up to the task? If he is, then don’t be surprised if Getz pulls the trigger to make him the White Sox’ next full-time dugout boss.
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