White Sox Minor Keys: May 26, 2018

Over the last two weeks, the White Sox have lost Nicky Delmonico, Leury Garcia and Welington Castillo for one reason or another, and now Matt Davidson hasn’t started for several days due to a balky back.

I wonder if all this is a test to see just how deep the White Sox will have to dig as they avoid calling up Eloy Jimenez until they clear the the Super Two threshold.

On a related note, here’s Jimenez hitting a go-ahead grand slam against Jackson tonight.

Indianapolis 6, Charlotte 2

  • Jordan Stephens: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
  • Robbie Ross is a mess again: 0 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 1 HBP

More:

*Stephens is 3-for-3 in quality starts in Charlotte.

Birmingham 8, Jackson 5

  • Danny Mendick went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts, a sac fly and three stolen bases.
  • Zack Collins drew three walks, struck out twice and stole a bag.
  • Eloy Jimenez went 2-for-5 with the slam, a double and two strikeouts.
  • Jameson Fisher homered, doubled, walked and struck out.
  • Tito Polo went 2-for-4.
  • Jordan Guerrero: 5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 2 HR, 1 HBP

More:

*Here’s Jimenez’s blast with Curt Bloom on the call:

Winston-Salem 4, Potomac 2 (11 innings)

  • Luis Alexander Basabe went 0-for-2 with a walk, strikeout and sac bunt.
  • Alex Call was 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout, and was caught trying to steal home.
  • Blake Rutherford, 1-for-5 with three strikeouts.
  • Micker Adolfo was 0-for-5 with a strikeout.
  • Gavin Sheets split the difference: 0-for-5 with two strikeouts.
  • Ti’Quan Forbes was 2-for-4.
  • Yeyson Yrizarri went 2-for-3 with a double and a stolen base.
  • Bernardo Flores: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K

More:

*James Fegan wrote an excellent profile of Omar Vizquel:

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Winston-Salem Dash radio play-by-play man Joe Weil seemed pretty excited about the idea of an interview in Omar Vizquel’s office. Why? Because it always smells great in there.

Upon our arrival, Weil was presented with a colorful full-page sketch of his own face that Vizquel had completed and signed. It was full of orange hues, with purple for the shadows and detailed freckles on Weil’s face.

Kannapolis at West Virginia PPD

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35Shields

I don’t understand how Super Two should even come in to play for Jimenez. He’s not even hit Charlotte yet.

The Sox season ends Sept 30th. Anyone called up after June 2nd (one week from today) will accrue less than 120 days of service time.

That means the only Super Two comes into play with Jimenez is either 1) the Sox call him up directly from Birmingham or 2) they call him up to Charlotte and he is somehow *so* impressive in a week’s worth of games and the Chicago OF situation *so* dire that they call him up after only a few games.

Neither of those seem like realistic scenarios. That said, there really doesn’t seem to be a compelling reason why he’s still in Birmingham.

35Shields

I guess, it just seems like they could have called him up to Charlotte weeks ago and still had no problem holding him until the Super two deadline.

lil jimmy

Us “Hey White Sox, quit playing dumb.”

White Sox ” We’re not playing.”

sgp2204

You’ve answered your own question… He’s still stuck in Birmingham because he’d force their hand if he was already in Charlotte. If they call him up now, can he force his way up with one really good week? Not likely. But if they brought him up 3 weeks ago, which would’ve been easy to justify, he absolutely could’ve (likely would’ve) forced their hand. 

100% Super Two related. And that doesn’t mean he’ll come up the second the Super Two date passes, it just means they had absolutely 0 intention of him coming up before that date, and leaving him in Birmingham was the best way to avoid conflict. 

MadManx

Anderson, Moncada, and Abreu each on Pace for 4 war seasons. Anderson doing it with a .273 BABIP is impressive.

PauliePaulie

Glad Eloy broke out of that mini-slump. Send him to Charlotte.

Hope Basabe, Rutherford and Adolfo can soon break out of theirs.

sgp2204

I’m just happy they haven’t tried to take Eloy’s leg kick away yet. 

asinwreck

James Fegan’s article has some good stuff about Vizquel mentoring Luis Robert, including cultural adjustments and learning about Roberto Clemente.

Sophist

I’m voting for Omar as eventual manager of the chicago white sox

PauliePaulie

Does anyone believe there is more than a 10% (injury excluded) chance the Sox could try to hold the start of Eloy’s ML clock to next May?

sgp2204

God I hope not. That would be depressing. At the very least, barring injury, he NEEDS to be a September callup. 

jorgefabregas

Not really