The Chicago White Sox suffered their 100th defeat of the 2024 season on Sunday at the hands of the Detroit Tigers. With 31 games left on the schedule, they must win 11 games to avoid breaking the MLB record for most losses in a season. Before today’s final against the Tigers, Chicago made four roster moves that hopefully will aid them in some victories.
Chicago claimed infielder Jacob Amaya off waivers from the Houston Astros and recalled infielder Bryan Ramos. To make room for Amaya on the 40-man roster, the club designated infielder Nick Senzel for assignment. Ramos takes the place of Senzel on the active roster while starting pitcher Ky Bush goes to Triple-A Charlotte. Left-handed reliever Sammy Peralta returns to Chicago for his fourth stint this year.
Shuffling
The White Sox claimed Senzel off of waivers from the Washington Nationals on July 17, a week after the Washington Nationals designated him for assignment. Senzel’s pickup came at the expense of Lenyn Sosa, who was starting to find his footing before his Triple-A demotion. He appeared in 10 games and collected three hits in 30 at-bats.
Amaya joins Chicago’s organization after a very brief stint with the Astros. The Astros acquired him from the Miami Marlins in April in exchange for pitcher Valente Bellozo and cash. Amaya made one at-bat with Houston and has 10 career major league at-bats since being selected in the 11th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017.
Key Components
Ky Bush earned a big league promotion on August 5 after a dominant 14-start stretch in Double-A and four appearances in Triple-A. Chicago acquired the lefty in a four-player trade with the Los Angeles Angels at the 2023 trade deadline. Bush struggled with command in his first two starts with the South Siders before tossing six innings of one-run ball against the Astros in Houston.
However, the Tigers roughed him up for five runs on eight hits and a walk in three innings on Saturday, leading to his demotion.
Ramos returns to Chicago after spending most of the season with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights. The White Sox promoted Ramos from Double-A Birmingham in May, but the rookie cooled off after starting 7-18. He landed on the injured list on May 17 with a left quad strain and went 0-14 after returning. Chicago optioned him to Triple-A, where he has OPS’d a modest .743 over 59 games.
However, Ramos has been on fire since August 1. He’s slashing .291/.389/.557 in August while reaching base safely in 18-20 games, and he currently owns a 10-game hitting streak.
What’s On Tap Next?
Bush clearly needs more developmental time before staking his permanent claim to a rotation spot. Returning to Chicago is not out of the question for Bush, but regardless of where he spends the final stretch of 2024, he is poised to have a role with the 2025 White Sox.
The White Sox must try everything possible to avoid a historic loss total, and Ramos’s promotion could help. Run generation, among other things, has been a massive problem for the White Sox, who desperately need a spark. The 22-year-old’s playing time should come at third base, where Miguel Vargas, who has six hits in 62 at-bats since the White Sox acquired him in a three-team trade at the end of July.
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