The White Sox welcomed two regulars back from the injured list today, as closer Liam Hendriks was reinstated from the 15-day IL and outfielder Adam Engel was reinstated from the 10-day IL. Right-hander Jimmy Lambert and outfielder Adam Haseley were optioned to Triple-A to create space on the active roster.
Hendriks returns in relatively short order, having been placed on the 15-day IL only back on June 14. The right-hander was sidelined with an ominous-sounding flexor strain in his right forearm, though the initial indication was that the injury wasn’t overly serious. As it turned out, Hendriks even returned just a bit before the three-week estimate given by White Sox GM Rick Hahn at the time of the IL placement. Engel is also back after a pretty minimal IL stint, having been placed on the 10-day due to a right hamstring strain on June 23.
It has been another strong season for Hendriks, who has 16 saves and a 2.81 ERA over his first 25 2/3 innings of the 2022 campaign. Hendriks’ 34.6% strikeout rate is one of the best in the league, which has become the norm for the reliever for the last four seasons. However, there is a minor red flag in Hendriks’ walk rate, which is only slightly above the league average.
After an injury-plagued 2021 season, Engel has returned to hit .240/.297/.349 over 158 plate appearances this year, while also displaying his customary strong glovework in the outfield. Mostly playing as a right fielder in 2022, Engel will return to his usual fourth outfielder role when everyone is healthy, but the Sox could opt to use Engel and Gavin Sheets in a platoon with Eloy Jimenez still on the IL.
With all the talent they have, the White Sox might be the most disappointing team in all of baseball this year. They were supposed to run away with the AL Central Title, but nearly 1/2 way through the season, they are still trying to find their way above .500. They are only 4.5 games behind Minnesota for the division lead, but it has been ugly to watch them play at times. Not sure if it is a Tony LaRussa issue or if it’s just underperformance by their stars. Most likely it’s a combination of both. All I know is that this team has way too much talent to be playing this poorly through this point in the season. They have plenty of time left to turn it around but they’ll need to do it with their existing roster as they don’t have much left in the minors to deal for impact players at the trade deadline. A healthy Hendriks is a big step in the right direction.
Injuries?
Part of the game.
How profound.
Personally, I just can’t wait until Eloy returns. He is so much fun to watch, flubbying around in LF. It’s great entertainment.
Any new friends? Girlfriend? Boyfriend? Nope. Same ole dogbone, trolling for attention
I’m no White Sox cheerleader, but I can definitely see them turn this around IF they can keep everyone on the field and they start getting more from their starters. Lynn is looking strong in his return but Giolito needs to be more consistent. The offense is going to rake if they can stay on the field. So it’s up to those starters.
No, this offense SHOULD rake with everyone on the field. Meanwhile July 4th is the date where their 1st player has double digit Homeruns. JULY EFFING 4TH!!! For 10 HOMERUNS…FROM JUST 1 EFFING PLAYER!
This offense is absolutely pathetic, the bullpen has not lived up to their billing at all, and the starting pitching has been very average, with spectacular starts sprinkled in. In any given game, two of those three aspects fail them, they have yet to have all three excel in one game. Despite being one of the best SB% in the league, they are an atrociously bad team on the bases, as lasts night’s inexplicable triple play showcased.
And as for their offense, anyone and everyone involved with directing players on how to hit should be relieved of their jobs. This team is comprised of several power hitters, playing in a “launching pad” stadium and they have 62 Homeruns all season…
Yes, injuries have been bad this year, terrible even, but at no point have they ever shown any ability to be in the race this season. Every single time they get at or around .500, they pull a game like last night, and crater backwards for a week.
Dude. Take a laxative. You’re all plugged up.
This is a complacent ballclub whose players match up well with the organizational structure/”loyalty” which rewards lackluster results. Hahn is a sharp lawyer, but they need to clean out the FO and bring in smart baseball people who have never had anything to do with the WSox. Clear eyes would help, but no reason to believe JR would hire people who might make him feel uncomfortable/challenge the way things have been done.
You’re not wrong. Loyalty around the workplace normally a good thing, but JR takes it a bit too far.
This team isn’t going anywhere until they get rid of La Clown. Worst managed or coached team I have ever seen.
Yeah, sure. TLR is definitely the reason teams are out homering the White Sox in their own park & on the road. Also TLR fault when Moncada & Engel got triple played off the bases when the play was directly in front of Moncada. Moncada plays like an oversized, over age little leaguer. He just doesn’t understand rules of the game. All Engel had to do was just stand on 2nd base & let Moncada run all around the field if he wanted. Blaming any manager for player base running black outs is stupid. My take away from this White Sox team is they just full of themselves. They are playing for personal reason. Harrison high stepping into 2nd base down by 5 proves a lot to me. Pounding chest when getting a bloop single down by any score is selfish. Until they quit playing solo baseball & start playing TEAM baseball this is the team we will have.. That’s entirely up to the players themselves. There is nothing any manager can do to turn that around. It’s ALL on the players…period