It seems like the White Sox are always shuffling their roster around, as everyday there is a new promotion or demotion. However, this time they made a few more significant changes than usual.
The White Sox have announced that they have placed one of their top prospects, Bryan Ramos, on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 15th. They also called up Corey Julks, who they acquired in a trade yesterday. Danny Mendick is returning to the White Sox, and they optioned Braden Shewmake to AAA to make room for him.
This is an interesting batch of moves, as there is a lot to unpack here. First, it is a shame that Ramos is injured enough to go on the shelf, as he was playing very well in his first stint with the White Sox. He is hitting .281 with two RBIs in 32 at-bats. He hasn’t looked overmatched and he’s played great defense to go along with the nice start at the plate. Hopefully he has a spot on the team when he returns from injury, as many were worried about where Ramos would end up after Mendick returned.
The next move is the most interesting, as they called up their recent addition, Corey Julks. Last year in 298 at-bats, Julks hit .245 with a .297 OBP. He had six home runs, 33 RBIs, and added a nice 15 stolen bases. While the average and the OBP are a bit low, they would rank as some of the better marks on the White Sox this season. He adds an intriguing mix of power and speed to a White Sox lineup that could use it.
Julks has not played in the majors in 2024, but he has some very solid stats in AAA to start the year. So far, he is hitting .266 with a .358 OBP. He has added five home runs, 15 RBIs, and six stolen bases in 124 at-bats. A very solid start to the season for Julks. Now, he moves to Chicago where he hopes to continue a nice start to the season. I’m not sure where they plan on playing him, as he is mainly an outfielder, but has played third occasionally in the minors. He is currently two for six so far with the Knights.
But, the main move here is Mendick for Shewmake. Shewmake was acquired in the Aaron Bummer trade and had a very good Spring Training and start to the season. However, his bat has gone ice cold and it has now cost him his spot in the majors. Hopefully Shewmake can figure out his bat in the minors, as he could be a very useful utility player in the major leagues, as he can play multiple infield positions well, as well as being a very good baserunner.
Mendick will start at third base tonight, so it seems like he will take that spot everyday until Ramos returns. Mendick has had a good season so far, hitting .256 with one homrun and three RBIs in 39 at-bats. He will give the White Sox some good at-bats until they figure out how they want to handle 3rd base for the rest of the season.
The Sox start a series against the Yankees tonight, so hopefully the White Sox come ready to play.
