TEMPE, Ariz. — White Sox outfielder Nicky Delmonico, who crashed into the outfield fence in a Cactus League game against the Brewers Thursday, suffered a mild concussion, the team said Friday. Delmonico, who was not at the Sox’ spring training complex Friday, remains under Major League Baseball’s concussion protocol and will be evaluated in the coming days.
“He definitely felt the blow,’’ Sox manager Rick Renteria said Friday. “You could see he was very dizzy. He was feeling nauseous. The normal effects of a possible concussion.’’
Renteria and trainer Brian Ball ran out to the left field corner where Delmonico was down after attempting to catch Manny Pina’s drive headed toward the bullpen gate near the foul pole. The gate swung open on impact.
Pina circled the bases for an inside the park home run against right-hander Ian Hamilton, which was the least of anyone’s concern. When he got up, Delmonico put his arms around the shoulders of Renteria and Ball and was helped to a cart.
“From what we heard, he hit the gate so hard that it popped the gate,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell told reporters after the game. “Broke it. And then there was an exposed pole that he hit his head on pretty good. Pretty scary. The guys in the bullpen said he hit his head pretty hard.”
Delmonico had just entered the game in the seventh inning when the injury occurred. He is trying to win an Opening Day job in the Sox outfield, which the Sox will piece together with Jon Jay and Adam Engel as the only likely sure things to make it – with Eloy Jimenez not expect to debut till late April.
Daniel Palka, the team leader with 27 home runs, should be in, too, but Palka is behind the others, in the starting lineup for the first time in 12 days Friday after leaving a game with a tight hamstring. Brandon Guyer, viewed as a right-handed hitting complement to the left-handed Palka and Delmonico, injured his throwing elbow early in spring training and has been limited to designated hitter duty.
Delmonico seemed up against it before he got hurt. He is sub-par defensively and batted .215/.296./373 in 88 games last season. He was off to a good start at the plate this spring, 6-for-15 with two doubles (.400).
“He’s doing the normal protocol, keeping him a way from lights,’’ Renteria said. “Let the brain just rest, hopefully be well on the way to recovery. It’s going to be a little while before he’s on the field.’’
Delmonico’s concussion is the latest in the Sox’ bad run of injury luck. This spring, prospects Luis Basabe (broken hamate bone), Dane Dunning (forearm soreness), Seby Zavala (quad) and Luis Robert (thumb) and Guyer, Palka and Delmonico have all been hurt.
NOTES: Robert (jammed left thumb) took batting practice in the cages this morning but Renteria wouldn’t speculate on a return to the lineup.
*Renteria said Ervin Santana is slated for live batting practice Sunday, then a minor league game on back fields next Friday.
*Basabe and left-hander Kodi Meideros were optioned to Class AA Birmingham, and infielder D.J. Peterson was reassigned to minor league camp.
*Former Sox pitcher Esteban Loaiza was sentenced to three years in federal prison for possessing 44 pounds of cocaine he intended to sell, which authorities found inside a minivan parked at an Imperial Beach, Calif., townhouse.
Loaiza, 47, who pitched for the Sox in 2003-04 and 2008, pleaded guilty last summer to a single felony count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
“I would like to apologize to my family and my fans, both in the United States and Mexico,” Loiaza said.
Contributing: Sun-Times wires
