It’s plain to see the White Sox lineup needs reinforcements, and before Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert return — whenever that is.
It won’t be till August at the earliest, in all likelihood, that their star outfielders return and that’s why the Sox are engaged in discussions with the Diamondbacks about infielder Eduardo Escobar. Scoring runs has become a challenge. The Yermin Mercedes experience, which entertained and helped offset the loss of Jimenez in April, is a distant memory.
While executives Rick Hahn and Ken Williams weigh what prospects to part with in a trade for Escobar or any other proven bat, they wait and hope for a Mercedes bounceback to give the lineup a boost. No one expects Mercedes to sustain the performance that made him the Rookie of the Month for April, but any sort of uptick would help.
Going 4-for-9 with a double and an RBI in the just completed weekend series against the Mariners gave a glimmer of hope. Mercedes is batting .164/.203/.197 in June after hitting 221/.292/.326 in May. He hit five homers in April but has two since.
The weekend marked the first time since the middle of May that Mercedes hit in safely in three consecutive games.
“He’s a talented guy and we need him,” manager Tony La Russa said. “And lately he looks more like he did early in the season. It’s a good time for it to come together.”
Mercedes on Monday offered the common refrain hitters who struggle often give, saying he has tried to do too much, and that he has to keep working hard to rediscover the place he wants to be hitting-wise. When Mercedes was going well in April, he picked up spin on breaking balls and laid off pitches out of the strike zone. When he struggled, he chased. And then he began to have trouble with hard stuff.
“I’m the type of player, so exciting every day when I come to home plate, when I go to the field,” Mercedes said. “I’m the most exciting guy, try to have fun. For me, I think I tried to do too much. For that reason, a little bit struggling but we take it back. We’re working on it, too.”
“He obviously has talent,” La Russa said. “You can get distracted, and you try to do more. His average started dropping and he started getting concerned and you have say, ‘Look, you can’t force hits.’ ’’
Mercedes worked in the indoor cages Monday before the Sox’ scheduled game was called off due to rain around 4 p.m. Outside, right-hander Michael Kopech pitched a sim game just before a thunderstorm came through the area.
“Major League Baseball tracks this stuff and was already in touch with [general manager] Rick [Hahn] and concerns,” La Russa said. “It was within minutes after Kopech finished throwing to Billy Hamilton and Zack [Collins], it started to storm with lightning and thunder. I just figured no chance.”
NOTES: The scheduled game between the Sox and Twins Monday was rained out and will be made up as part of a straight doubleheader on July 19 starting at 4:10 p.m. Both games will be seven innings.
*Jose Abreu, hit in the knee with a pitch Sunday, left writhing in pain and helped off the field, told manager Tony La Russa he was ready to play Monday.
*Michael Kopech pitched his second simulated game and looked “sharp,” La Russa said. How Kopech, on the injured list after suffering a right hamstring strain, responds Tuesday could weigh in a decision to send him out for a rehab outing or two at Class AAA Charlotte.
“He went back for extra when he needed it,” La Russa said. “All in all, very positive.”
*Switch hitter Billy Hamilton (oblique) will hit righthanded exclusively when he comes off the IL, La Russa said.
