Chicago White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada will miss at least three months and could miss up to six months after suffering a left adductor strain, the team announced Wednesday.
Moncada was added to the 15-day injured list, while outfielder Oscar Colas was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte to take his spot on the roster.
Moncada, 28, injured himself running to first base during Tuesday’s victory against the Cleveland Guardians. Having dealt with a nagging injury in the same area for a few days leading into the game, Moncada collapsed as he neared the bag. He writhed in pain on the ground for several minutes before being helped off the field.
“When I was running down the line, I felt like something broke,” Moncada said through a translator on Wednesday as he stood in the hallway outside Chicago’s clubhouse.
Said manager Pedro Grifol: “It was painful for me to watch.”
Moncada joins outfielder Luis Robert Jr. and designated hitter Eloy Jimenez on the injured list. The trio has been oft-injured during their tenure with the White Sox, with Moncada also missing time last season while nursing a back injury.
The timetable for Robert’s return remains unknown while Jimenez could be back as early as this weekend.
Grifol couldn’t have fathomed losing three of his top players and best hitters in the first two weeks.
“There’s just no way to think that’s going to happen or to even envision something like that to happen,” Grifol said. “It’s not because it can’t happen, it’s just the work that they put in. We talk to them about playing hard, running the bases hard. That kind of stuff builds up your work capacity and allows you to get to full speed.
“It’s just unfortunate. It’s part of the game. These guys are big-time athletes. They’re strong. They’re physical. They run fast. It’s just one of those things. You can’t explain it.”
Moncada was 11 for 39 (.282) without a home run or RBI this season, his eighth with the White Sox. It could be his final one with Chicago as the team holds an option on him for 2025.
Colas, 25, played 75 games for the White Sox last season, compiling a .571 OPS, including five home runs. So far this year, he’s batting .321 with one homer and four RBIs in the minors.
ESPN’s Jesse Rogers and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: www.espn.com