Pregame notes: Derek Hill adds one more to the Sporcle

The White Sox couldn't quite make it the last six games without adding a brand new player to the 26-man roster, as they claimed outfielder Derek Hill off waivers from Miami as part of four roster moves before tonight's game against the Yankees.

Hill was designated for assignment by Miami on Monday, as the Marlins needed to open a roster spot for Griffin Conine in his return from the 60-day injured list, and Hill is out of options. He hit just .213/.275/.331 over 53 games and 141 plate appearances with Miami this season, but he's a respectable defender in center field, and has stolen seven bases in as many attempts, so he provides some value in late-game roles. He surpassed three years of service time this season, so he'll be eligible for arbitration after the season. Between that and the lack of options, his White Sox career seems like it could only last the week.

The White Sox are Hill's sixth MLB team in six seasons, as he'd previously played for the Tigers, Nationals, Rangers and Giants before arriving in Miami. Whenever he plays, he'll also be the 62nd different White Sox to appear in a game this season, and the 63rd to be added to the 26-man roster (Tristan Gray didn't see any time). That's an important distinction, since the White Sox used 63 players on the field last season.

Hill replaces Mike Tauchman, whose season died as it lived: plagued by a leg issue. The White Sox placed Tauchman on the IL with a meniscus tear in his right knee, so he'll end his season as a .263/.356/.400 hitter. He provided plenty of per-game value, as he accrued 1.4 fWAR and 1.9 bWAR despite appearing in only 93 games, as he was limited by hamstring issues throughout the year before the knee injury finished him off. He performed admirably while being visibly limited, but the persistent problems provide an explanation for why the White Sox haven't committed to tendering him a contract in his final year of arbitration eligibility. He told reporters in New York, including Scott Merkin, that he'll undergo surgery on Tuesday, and assuming he adheres to the same timetable Austin Slater did, it should be a relatively normal offseason for him.

On the pitching side, Wikelman González is also done for the season, as the White Sox placed him on the injured list with a right elbow impingement. Jonathan Cannon replaces him, and could be the bulk boy in tonight's game behind opener Fraser Ellard.

The elbow issue introduces some uncertainty at the end of a pretty successful season for González, who fared decently in his first 16 MLB games. He posted a 2.66 ERA over 20⅓ innings with the White Sox, allowing 13 hits and 12 walks while striking out 25. When lumping in his minor league work, threw 69 ⅔ innings over 42 games, and while control could often escape him, he proved difficult to square up, as he allowed just three homers and a slugging percentage south of .300. All in all, it's a pretty good return for the fourth player in the Garrett Crochet trade, but depending on the recovery, it might hurt his chances for making the Opening Day roster.

First Pitch: White Sox at Yankees

TV: CHSN

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