AL CENTRAL
Chicago White Sox
Nicky Delmonico quickly took advantage of his chance to play in the major leagues.
After the 25-year-old infielderoutfielder’s contract was purchased from Class AAA Charlotte on Aug. 1, he hit .348 with a double, a home run and five RBI in his first six games, starting all of them in left field.
Delmonico was signed as a minor league free agent in February after being released by the Milwaukee Brewers.
“It kind of flashes before your eyes, everything that you’ve done to get here,” Delmonico said of getting the news he was being promoted. “It’s just a great moment. I’m trying to take everything in. I tried to text all the people that I could text.”
uDelmonico was called up a day after right fielder Willy Gar
cia suffered a broken right jaw and a concussion when he collided with second baseman Yoan
Moncada while trying to make a sliding catch. Garcia will be sidelined until at least the beginning of September. He was replaced by fellow rookie Alen Hanson.
uThird baseman Matt Davidson (bruised right wrist) was expected to return to the lineup this week. He was hit by a pitch from the Toronto Blue Jays’ Marcus Stroman on Aug. 1.
Cleveland Indians
Jason Kipnis is hoping to provide a spark to the AL Central leaders now that he is off the disabled list.
The two-time All-Star second baseman, out since July 9 because of a strained right hamstring, was activated Sunday. Kipnis was hitting .232 with eight home runs in 66 games when he got hurt, compared with .275 with 23 homers in 156 games last season when he helped the Indians reach the World Series.
Kipnis saw his return as a fresh start.
“It happened right before the All-Star break, so I mean that is kind of the midpoint for me anyways,” he said. “You’re looking for a strong second half, and this just gave me hopefully the chance I needed to kind of get my feet back under me and start to prepare for the late push and help this team.” uLeft-handed reliever An
drew Miller (right knee tendinitis) is hopeful of being activated from the DL on Aug. 11, the first day he is eligible. Manager Terry
Francona has expressed a willingness to use closer Cody Allen in high-leverage situations in the seventh and eighth innings, which often are handled by Miller.
uA statue of Lou Boudreau, the player/manager who led the Indians to their last World Series title (1948), was unveiled Saturday outside Progressive Field.
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers believe Jeimer
Candelario has an extremely bright future.
They acquired the 23-year-old switch-hitting third baseman from the Chicago Cubs on July 31 as part of a trade for left-handed reliever Justin Wilson and catcher Alex Avila. Candelario was assigned to Class AAA Toledo (Ohio) but is a likely September call-up.
Candelario plays the same position as one of the Tigers’ better young players, 25-year-old Nicholas Castellanos, but general manager Al Avila does not see that as a problem.
“If it happened to be two third basemen as opposed to, let’s say, a third baseman and a shortstop, you still go for the best talent that you can acquire,” Avila said. “No different than what we do in the draft. Later on, if you had to fill in a gap here and there, then you go out and get a minor league free agent.” uRight- hander Michael Fulmer (right elbow) was placed on the disabled list retroactive to Aug. 1 but hoped to miss no more than two starts. Drew VerHagen was moved into the rotation. uRight- handed reliever Ed
ward Mujica worked two innings against the Baltimore Orioles on Aug. 3 after being called up from Toledo earlier in the day. It was the 33-year-old’s first major league appearance since 2015 with the Oakland A’s.
Kansas City Royals
The Royals are counting on veteran backup catcher Drew
Butera making a bigger contribution than expected to their postseason push.
Butera will get the bulk of the starts behind the plate after fivetime All-Star Salvador Perez was placed on the disabled list Sunday because of a strained muscle in his right side. At first, the Royals thought Perez might be out until late August, but he said Monday that he felt better and could be back sooner.
Butera, 33, is in his eighth major league season and his third with the Royals. Cam Gallagher was called up from Class AAA Omaha (Papillion, Neb.). The 23-year-old made his major league debut Sunday after hitting .294 with five home runs in 68 games in the Pacific Coast League.
“This is nothing new to us,” manager Ned Yost said. “You just deal with it and move on. Guys understand. We’ll have Drew and Cam here to pick up the slack behind the plate. We feel like we can cover it.”
uRight- hander Trevor Cahill struggled in his first two starts after being acquired July 24 from the San Diego Padres. He allowed a combined seven runs in 82⁄ 3 innings but did not factor in the decision in either outing.
uYost was ejected in back-toback games Aug. 2-3 against the Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners.
Minnesota Twins
The long road back to the major leagues for three-time All-Star
Glen Perkins is nearly complete. The left-handed reliever was scheduled to begin a rehab assignment for Class AA Chattanooga (Tenn.) on Aug. 10 and pitch one inning, then work one inning in back-to-back games Aug. 13-14.
If all goes well, Perkins will be activated from the disabled list. The 34-year-old last pitched in the majors April 10, 2016, and had shoulder surgery three months later.
A native of Stillwater, Minn., Perkins has spent his 11-year career with the Twins and was their first-round selection in the 2004 amateur draft out of the University of Minnesota.
“I think for the first time in my rehab, really, I’ve been pushing our medical and our front office to say, ‘Let’s go,’ ” Perkins said. “For a long time, I just didn’t feel good enough to take steps. So for the last couple of weeks, I’m trying to move this thing along.”
uThird baseman Miguel Sano sat out two games last weekend after being hit on the left hand by a pitch from the Texas Rangers’ Tony Barnette on Friday. Though X-rays were negative, Sano continued to feel pain.
uLeft- hander Hector Santiago, on the DL since July 3 because of a strained upper back, was scheduled to make a fourth rehab start Aug. 9 for Class AAA Rochester (N.Y.), then be re-evaluated.
“At my age, being able to throw nine innings is impressive.” Twins right-hander Bartolo Colon, 44, after pitching a complete-game nine-hitter Friday to beat the Texas Rangers