Before this afternoon’s game against the Twins, the Royals placed shortstop Adalberto Mondesi on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 4, with a left hamstring strain. It’s a tough blow for the speedy shortstop, who missed almost all of the season’s first two months with an oblique issue. In between the injuries, Mondesi has gotten off to a productive start, hitting .360/.360/.720 with a pair of homers in seven games. To replace him on the active roster, Kansas City recalled outfielder Edward Olivares from Triple-A Omaha.
More from the game’s central divisions:
- Twins center fielder Byron Buxton could embark on a minor league rehab assignment at some point next week, manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters (including Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press). Buxton has missed the better part of a month with a right hip strain, a devastating development considering his incredible start to the season. Before the injury, the 27-year-old looked well on his way to putting himself in early AL MVP conversation, hitting .370/.408/.772 with nine homers in his first 98 plate appearances. Righty Kenta Maeda, meanwhile, threw a 35-pitch bullpen session this morning and looks to be nearing a rehab assignment of his own, per Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com (Twitter link).
- Cardinals utilityman Max Moroff will require season-ending surgery on his left shoulder, manager Mike Shildt announced (via Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat). The procedure comes with a seven-month recovery timeline, so Moroff figures to be ready for next Spring Training. Moroff, selected to the St. Louis roster last month, went just 1-16 with ten strikeouts in six games. The Cardinals figure to transfer him to the 60-day injured list when the need for a 40-man roster spot arises.
- The White Sox announced this morning they’ve reinstated outfielder Adam Engel from the injured list to make his season debut. He’s starting in center field this afternoon against the Tigers. Fellow center fielder Billy Hamilton is going on the 10-day IL due to a right oblique strain in a corresponding move. Engel has missed the first two months of the year with a right hamstring strain. Hamilton has been among the depth outfielders the Sox have relied upon in center without Luis Robert and Engel. Over 75 plate appearances, the speedy Hamilton is hitting .217/.247/.406 with a pair of home runs.
So happy that Adam is coming back, huge boost to our outfield and is one of the best 4th outfielders (when everyone is healthy) in baseball.
Hope Engel continues hitting like he can. And I was wrong on Hamilton. Billy has been a great addition and please hurry back fast. Always room for a player and a great guy like Hamilton.
Hamilton is fine for a defensive replacement or pinch runner, but he has been terrible at the plate. What team are you watching?
John- I am watching the White Sox. Never accused Billy of being capable of hitting but what I did say is true. Don’t be Mr. Crankypants.
John- also his only two homers came back to back games vs Baltimore Memorial Day Weekend. Won both games 3-1 clutch at-bats
I guess it’s better to be a Moroff than to be a Moron.
takes one to know one.
I dunno, i think a moron strikes out less…
Welcome back Engel! It’s possible Robert and Jimenez will be back in August! Watch out for the White Sox in the post season.
Watch out for the White Sox even in the regular season without Jiminez and Robert. 1st in AL central
No doubt. Good team, fun to watch, good mix of vets and young players. Confident they will make an addition or two at the trade deadline even with Jimenez and Robert expected back. My guess more pitching.
This is one of the most well rounded Sox teams in a long time. Definitely fun to watch.
Is the June 4th backdate on Mondesi’s IL a typo? He hasn’t played since May 31. Or are teams only allowed to backdate a couple games?
I wondered the same, but that’s what the teams announcement said too. I was at the game on the 31st he was awesome. 2-4 with a big time home run (and epic bat flip) and got hurt making a great play at short. Really wish that he could stay on the field.
Only three days – see mlb.com/glossary/injuries/10-day-injured-list
China doll Mondesi
Can we even say that anymore?
PeteWard8, he lost. Ya know what I’m saying?
ceyhey- for the last time, turn the television off. Talk with people and not at them. You can do it. See clearly.
Do you know what I am saying?
I’m not giving up on you ceyhey.
Good night tomorrow is another day.
Engel already robbed the opponent of another homer today with a great catch. Last year his bat was very good too. Glad to see him back. Hamilton is a LaRussa special. Late inning pinch runner/defensive replacement. Tony had to play him the entire nine with Robert and Jimenez out. When Hamilton returns he will probably be in the late inning role. BTW Hamilton did a fine job of filling in for the time he lasted. He had an impact and brought the team up.
And, I’m more than certain that this isn’t the last we will see of Billy. You gotta keep a guy like him around. Not just for his fantastic speed and clutch plays, but also, because he has shown poise in the clubhouse and become a fan favorite. I’ve always wanted him on the Sox.
Now, I know that people will say, “But he can’t hit!!”. I disagree. He may have taken some time to heat up, but even when he wasn’t, the hits that he DID make were often key ones that changed the dynamic of a game. If you can get a hit in where it can be the difference between a win and a loss, you CAN hit.
The future is now and it has been an absolute thrill.
Great to see Engel back! Hopefully at start of July we get word on the status of Robert and Eloy. Will be interesting to see what they do with Eloy when he gets back. Mercedes has really stopped hitting, but Vaughn has an absolutely miserable .196 avg and .534 OPS vs right handed pitching. Love his future, and he is killing lefties, but that is a glaring weakness for 2021. Eloy rakes vs RHP and will help with their team wide problem in that area. Would they dare put Eloy back in left field? To me seems like Eloy, Robert, Engel in the outfield and Mercedes at DH would be their best lineup. If Eloy can’t play the field (because he isn’t safe out there), then he will be DH with an outfield of Vaughn, Robert, Engel vs lefties and Lamb, Robert, Eaton (or Engel) vs righties.
Desperately needed Engel. Saturday’s game when Billy got hurt, the Sox trotted out an OF with less than 50 combined games of experience at the Major League level. They have lost 4 OF this year to injury (Leury has been knicked up but nothing too serious). They are essentially a MASH unit in the OF.