Austin Hays was off to a solid start through his first nine games in a Chicago White Sox uniform. After signing a one-year, $6 million deal this offseason, the 32-year-old ranked third on the team with six RBIs before suffering a hamstring injury Tuesday while chasing down a ball in left field.
He is now expected to miss two to four weeks. Adding insult to injury, the news came shortly after it was announced that Brooks Baldwin will miss the entire season after opting for a UCL internal brace procedure on his right elbow.
The good news is that Baldwin is expected to be ready for Spring Training in 2027, with a recovery timeline significantly shorter than traditional Tommy John surgery.
The bad news is that Baldwin was expected to be a key piece of the White Sox outfield depth after working almost exclusively there during the spring. Baldwin put together a respectable first full season in the big leagues, working primarily as a utility player. In 103 games last season, he logged 11 homers, 15 doubles, and drove in 38 RBIs while slashing .240/.290/.407.
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All of this comes after Everson Pereira, who was expected to get significant time in the outfield, was placed on the 10-day IL with a left ankle sprain.
While having Baldwin in the lineup likely wouldn’t have been a game-changer, Hays’ injury now leaves the White Sox piecing together an outfield filled with underwhelming options.
Andrew Benintendi’s defensive issues are well-documented. Luisangel Acuña has held his own in center field, but is more naturally suited for the infield. Derek Hill brings speed and solid defense, though he profiles better as a late-inning replacement than an everyday starter, with just two hits in his first 15 at-bats.
Tristan Peters has shown some promise with eight hits in his first 30 at-bats, but a 33% strikeout rate raises some major red flags. The White Sox promoted Dustin Harris for added reinforcements, but the current crop of outfielders does not provide much of an offensive spark.
Many fans have been calling for Sam Antonacci to be promoted, and they have a legitimate case. In his first nine games in Triple-A Charlotte, he is slashing .353/.522/.559 with two homers and four stolen bases. The issue is that Antoncci is an infielder by trade, and the organization is looking to convert into an outfielder to help ease a crowded infield picture.
While Antoncacci has handled left field well, he’d be better served continuing that transition in the minors, rather than navigating the growing pains of a new position while also trying to adjust to big-league pitching, something White Sox manager Will Venable addressed.
“Sam is going to be part of this thing. He’s got work to do,” Venable told MLB.com. “He’s got to continue to be exposed to the outfield. Part of being a growing player is making mistakes and learning from those mistakes. That’s where you grow the most.”
Even if Antonucci’s bat could provide a boost, and all signs suggest it could, the defensive question marks aren’t ideal for a White Sox pitching staff that has struggled to protect leads and needs all the help it can get in the field. Adding another layer is his service time. The White Sox are unlikely to burn a year of it in a season they don’t expect to contend for the division.
The White Sox are in an inevitable position. But for the time being, they are going to have to weather the storm and hope Hays can return sooner rather than later.
