The White Sox are expected to activate right fielder Nomar Mazara any day now, and when they do, they will potentially add more pop to a lineup that ranks at or near the top of numerous offensive categories.
Through nine games, the 5-4 Sox rank first in the major leagues in batting average (.281), tied for first in hits (92) and second in the American League in runs (50), on-base percentage (.342), slugging (.456) and OPS (.797) going into their game at the Milwaukee Brewers Monday night.
Mazara was participating in summer camp workouts at Guaranteed Rate Field when he went on the injured list for an unspecified reason July 21. He began participating in workouts with the taxi squad in Schaumburg six days ago.
“He feels good,” manager Rick Renteria said Sunday. “He’s got to go through another day of work today, and we’ll see where he’s at. Maybe we’ll have some update by the end of the day, if not early tomorrow. But right now, he’s moving along very well, and from what it sounds like — I’ve been texting him — he says he’s feeling really good in the work. So hopefully he’s nearing his time.”
Viewed as a former top prospect who put up decent numbers yet not tapping his full potential with the Rangers, the Sox acquired the 6-4, 215-pound Mazara in a trade for outfield prospect Steele Walker during the offseason.
Mazara is 25 but already has four years of major league experience. He achieved career highs in batting average (.268), slugging (.469), OPS (.786) and runs scored (69) last season and recorded 20, 20, 20 and 19 home runs in four seasons with the Rangers. Two of his homers ranked among the top four longest in the majors in 2019, a 505-foot blast against Sox right-hander Reyaldo Lopez (first) and a 482-foot shot against Cubs lefty Mike Montgomery.
“We made some adjustments with Mazara and he’s taken to them, and he looks really good,” Sox hitting coach Frank Menechino said during camp. “And his rhythm, his bat path is really cleaned up, and I’m really happy with what he’s doing. And I can see a sense of confidence in him just by the way he does his work, the way he’s going about his business. I’m really pleased with what he’s doing, and so is he.”
The Sox figure to platoon Mazara with the right-handed hitting Adam Engel, a superior defender. The Brewers are starting left-hander Brett Anderson Monday.
Nicky Delmonico, Leury Garcia and Engel, whose three-run homer carried the Sox to a 3-2 win at Kansas City Friday, have held down right field in Mazara’s absence, hitting a combined .167/.211/.333 playing the position.
“If [Mazara is] the same player he’s been for the last couple years at the big league level, having a bat like that against right-handed pitching in the lower third of our order which is where he may well end up, has a lot of value,” general manager Rick Hahn said during the winter meetings in December.
The Sox scored 5, 10 and 2 runs against the Twins, 3, 3 and 4 against the Indians and 4, 11 and 9 against the Royals, racking up 35 hits without 2019 major league batting leader Tim Anderson (strained groin) in the last two against the Royals to complete a series sweep.
