Saladino averted major injury in minor- league game
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Tyler Saladino played second base and led off the first inning of the White Sox’ Cactus League finale Wednesday with a home run to center, two days after getting a scare in a minor- league game.
Saladino was hit on the left wrist by a pitch Monday. That’s always a danger area for broken bones.
‘‘ Luckily, when it hit, it was all meat,’’ Saladino said. ‘‘ When I went in [ for X- rays], I was like, ‘ Please, there is only one answer I need from you right now.’ ’’
Saladino got the negative X- ray result he wanted, but he might think twice now about playing in a minor- league game to ‘‘ make sure you’re dialed.’’
Saladino said he wasn’t sure who the prospect was.
‘‘ He shook [ off ] the catcher five times, and then I saw the catcher scooting in,’’ Saladino said. ‘‘ I could tell from the delivery he was trying to throw it as hard as he could. It was a five- foot miss.’’
Saladino figures to get the lion’s share of work at second and to move around as a backup at all the infield positions. He also has played left field and is the Sox’ emergency catcher.
‘‘ I’m going to use him at second base a significant amount of time,’’ manager Rick Renteria said. ‘‘ With all of the [ flexible] guys we have . . . it allows us to rest, keep them fresh, maneuver them around the diamond and use the DH slot as a roving position for any number of guys.’’
Leury Garcia and Yolmer Sanchez can play second, short and third, and Garcia can play center field, too. Matt Davidson can play both corner- infield spots, and Cody Asche can play left field, first and third.
Eye on the Burdi
When 2016 first- round draft pick Zack Burdi struck out the side Tuesday against the Royals, including Salvador Perez on three pitches with a runner on third, it likely gave him a boost before he heads to Class AAA Charlotte to open the season.
‘‘ Crazy,’’ Burdi said. ‘‘ I remember watching Perez in the ’ 14 World Series and thinking to myself how great of a catcher he was and how great of a hitter he was. Just to hear his name and to hear that he’s coming up and facing me.’’
Naperville Central graduate Nicky Lopez, ‘‘ a kid I played with since I was 12, was [ pinchrunning] on first base,’’ said Burdi, a Downers Grove South grad. ‘‘ It was kind of like you had the best of both worlds there.’’
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