SHIN & BEAR IT FOR YOAN
Sox put rookie second baseman Moncada on 10- day disabled list
ROOKIE COULD MISS MORE THAN 10 DAYS WITH BRUISE
White Sox rookie Yoan Moncada spotted the customized jersey featuring his nickname, “YoYo,” in front of his locker before the game Friday against the Tigers.
“It’s fun to have the nicknames on the jerseys,” Moncada said. “I’m kind of sad because I can’t wear it on the field.”
For at least the next week and a half, Moncada will be forced to watch his teammates from the dugout. The Sox put the highly touted rookie on the 10- day disabled list because of a bone bruise on his right shin.
The injury arrives at a particularly bad time for Moncada, 22, who had started to warm up at the plate during his first extended stint in the big leagues. After hitting .100 ( 4- for- 40) with a .530 OPS in his first 13 games, he was hitting .246 ( 15- for- 61) with a .787 OPS in his last 17.
Now, with a little more than a month left in the season, the Sox must push the pause button on Moncada’s development. Although an MRI exam did not indicate a more serious injury, the Sox will shut down Moncada for at least seven days before determining whether he’s healthy enough to resume baseball activities.
Manager Rick Renteria said he liked what he has seen from Moncada.
“You could see him progressing at the plate and in the field,” Renteria said. “Any injury or any time down for anybody is never a good thing, but as far as where he’s at, we know he’s moving forward in a positive direction. We’ll just deal with it and see if we can get him back on track once he’s back on the field again.”
Moncada is hopeful for a quick return, but he left open the possibility that he could miss more than 10 days depending on how his shin responds to ice and rest. He has had shin splints in recent weeks, and he said the injury flared up— only this time, more painfully — when he stepped awkwardly on third base Thursday.
The setback is the latest interruption in an up- and- down season for Moncada, who was considered the No. 1 prospect in baseball when the Sox promoted him from Class AAA Charlotte on July 19. His Sox debut prompted more than 5,000 walk- up ticket sales on the South Side, where even his foul tips drew loud ovations.
Since then, Moncada has struggled to produce with consistency. He’s hitting .188 with three home runs and 11 RBI in 30 games. He has 19 walks to go along with 44 strikeouts in 101 at- bats.
“I think the results haven’t been as good as I was expecting,” Moncada said. “But now I’m just trying to get my focus and my learning process and be prepared for next year.”
Teammates praised Moncada for his temperament in the dugout and on the field.
“He’s the same guy every day,” said Adam Engel, who also played alongside Moncada in the minors. “Good games, tough games, it doesn’t matter. We love having him out there.”
Moncada wishes he could stay out there as a long offseason looms.
“I don’t like to be injured,” Moncada said. “No one likes to be on the DL. But there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s the best [ approach] at the moment for me. I have to rest.”