White Sox Designate Dustin Harris For Assignment
The White Sox announced that they have selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Sam Antonacci and recalled left-hander Tyler Gilbert. In corresponding moves, they have optioned left-hander Brandon Eisert and designated outfielder Dustin Harris for assignment. It had been reported earlier this week that Antonacci was likely going to be promoted.
The Sox added Harris to the roster a week ago when Austin Hays landed on the injured list. He got into six games and was sent to the plate 16 times. He drew four walks and recorded three hits, including one double. It’s possible the Sox just viewed Harris as a placeholder while they gave Antonacci more time to get outfield reps in the minors. Antonacci played all four infield positions last year but not the outfield. So far this year, the Sox have used him primarily in left field, with 11 starts at that position.
Harris is out of options and can’t be easily sent back to the minors. He was once a prospect of note with the Rangers but his production in the upper levels was middling. From 2023 to 2025, he was on the Texas roster but mostly kept in the minors, exhausting his three option years. He got into just 21 big league games, producing a .217/.280/.435 line in those. For that same span, he had a .271/.368/.418 line in the minors, which translated to a 103 wRC+. He was outrighted at the end of last year and elected free agency, which led to a minor league deal with the White Sox.
He’ll now head into DFA limbo, which can last as long as a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Sox could take as long as five days to field trade interest. Since he has been outrighted before, he would have the right to elect free agency if he clears outright waivers again.
The Sox will see how Antonacci’s bat plays in the majors. He has great plate discipline but not a lot of power. In 688 minor league plate appearances, he has seven home runs, but his 14.7% walk rate and 13.7% strikeout rate are both much better than average. That strong approach has helped him produce a combined slash of .299/.445/.419 for a 159 wRC+.
Antonnaci can play some infield but the Sox have Munetaka Murakami, Chase Meidroth, Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas from right to left. Since Antonacci has been playing left field this year, he will presumably jump into the outfield mix alongside Andrew Benintendi, Luisangel Acuña, Tristan Peters, Everson Pereira and Derek Hill. The designated hitter spot can also be used to spread some at-bats around. Lenyn Sosa was getting a decent amount of the DH time but he was traded to the Blue Jays this week.
Photo courtesy of Jay Biggerstaff, Imagn Images
White Sox Weighing Promotion For Sam Antonacci
The White Sox will call up at least one of their top prospects for Tuesday’s series opener against the Rays. Noah Schultz will start the game against Shane McClanahan in a promotion that will officially be announced tomorrow morning.
Does Chicago have another promotion looming for a highly-regarded young player? Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and Mitchell Armentrout of The Chicago Sun-Times each write that the Sox front office is weighing whether to promote utility player Sam Antonacci. Noah Phelan of Southside Showdown reported on Saturday that Antonacci would be promoted alongside Schultz for the opener with Tampa Bay. The reports from The Athletic and Sun-Times suggest that the team has not made a final decision but that a promotion might be imminent.
It’s probably not a coincidence that the Sox traded infielder Lenyn Sosa to the Blue Jays this afternoon. Sosa led the team with 22 home runs a season ago, yet his defensive shortcomings and .293 on-base percentage made him a limited player. Chase Meidroth and Munetaka Murakami are playing almost every day on the right side of the infield. Sosa is out of options and had been in a bench role without much multi-positional versatility.
The Sox need to bring up a position player to replace Sosa on the active roster (while also dropping a pitcher from the 26-man to accommodate the Schultz promotion). Sosa’s 40-man roster spot will go to the 6’10” southpaw. Calling up Antonacci would require a second 40-man move. Drew Thorpe and Prelander Berroa each underwent Tommy John surgery early in 2025 and are candidates to move to the 60-day injured list.
The 23-year-old Antonacci is out to a quick start to the season with Triple-A Charlotte. He has reached base 30 times in 13 games, tallying 13 hits while drawing 15 walks and getting plunked twice. Antonacci’s polished plate discipline and hit tool have been his calling card as a prospect. The left-handed batter posted a .291/.433/.409 line while stealing 48 bases between High-A and Double-A last year.
Antonacci, whom Baseball America ranked the #9 prospect in the Sox’s system over the winter, has played mostly second or third base over his minor league career. That hasn’t been the case in 2026. He has started two games at second and 10 in left field, his first career outfield work. He’s not viewed as a great defender anywhere but could rotate between second base, left field and designated hitter. Meidroth hits right-handed, as do bench pieces Derek Hill and Tanner Murray.