With just one month remaining until the White Sox season is mercifully over, several players are trying to return from the IL to finish the season out strong.
Jordan Leasure threw a bullpen on Friday and has no issues. It was the second bullpen he has thrown since landing on the 15-day IL. He is scheduled to throw another bullpen session on September 3rd while the team is in Baltimore. If all goes well he will be reevaluated and could return by the end of the season. However, the White Sox are taking a cautious day-by-day approach for the hard-throwing right-hander.
Wilson began a rehab stint in Charlotte this week along with third baseman Yoan Moncada. The 30-year-old right-hander was placed on the IL on August 17 after he strained his back two days earlier. Wilson owns a 5.71 ERA in 40 appearances for the White Sox this season. In 34 2/3 innings of work, he has a 1-6 record with 34 strikeouts. It marks a steep decline from years in San Diego, where he posted a sub-4.00 ERA out of the Padres pen in consecutive seasons.
Moncada began his rehab stint in Charlotte on August 27. He went 1-for-3 with an RBI double. He was left out of the lineup the next day but has played in the Knight’s last two games. In his first eight at-bats, he has two hits and a pair of RBIs.
Moncada was initially aiming toward a return to the White Sox lineup in late July before his rehab was halted due to soreness. Former White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said at the time that the decision was made after some “anticipated soreness” but that the team did not view it as a setback.
Nearly a month later Moncada is still on the IL leaving many to speculate he would prefer to sit out the rest of the season before hitting free agency. If all goes well during his rehab assignment in Charlotte the White Sox could see him back in the lineup by mid-September.
The 29-year-old has been on the injured list since April 9th after suffering a left hip adductor strain while running the bases in Cleveland. He was placed on the 10-IL when the team announced that he was expected to miss three to six months.
The injury occurred the same day Grifol told reporters that Moncada was nursing a nagging hip injury. However, Moncada was doing his best to stay on the field and help a depleted White Sox lineup. Even with the hip issue Moncada still tried to hustle out of the box and leg out an infield single which ultimately caused him to go down. Before the injury, he was one of the few bright spots in the White Sox lineup, hitting .282 with a .774 OPS.
Right-hander Michael Soroka could return by the start of September after throwing another bullpen session on August 23. Soroka landed on the IL on July 14th with a subscapular strain. The 27-year-old has struggled to the tune of a 5.23 ERA this season. However, since being moved to the bullpen Soroka has been throwing the ball much better. In 13 relief appearances, he posted a 3.45 ERA with 47 strikeouts in 28 2/3 innings of work.
