After Avisail Garcia hobbled over first base in the second inning of Monday night’s game, the outlook was grim for a return to the lineup anytime soon. Those fears were confirmed Tuesday when the White Sox placed Garcia on the 10-day DL and promoted Daniel Palka from Triple-A.
#WhiteSox place Avisaíl García on 10-day disabled list; Recall Daniel Palka from Class AAA Charlotte: pic.twitter.com/o0ZQw7SEIP
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) April 24, 2018
Palka was claimed off waivers from the Minnesota Twins back in Nov. and was rated as the No. 22 prospect in the Twins organization. He was a third-round pick out of Georgia Tech by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2012, traded to the Twins in 2015 and will make his big-league debut with the Southsiders. He is 26 years old.
Congrats to our @WarehamGatemen Alum Daniel Palka ⚾️ #CapeLeague https://t.co/hMEcTvx4Wg
— Cape League (@Official_CCBL) April 24, 2018
Versatility is the driving force behind this decision. His physical stature notwithstanding, Palka is athletic and has experience at multiple positions. Labeled as a first baseman/outfielder, the White Sox can use Palka as a reserve for Jose Abreu and drop him in right field when they need a strong arm with range. He maxes out the prospect-grade scale in raw power (60/60), speed (50/50) and arm strength (55/55). Baseball America rated him with the best power in the Midwest league in 2014 while ranking in the organizational top-30 with each club he’s played for.
Power is Palka’s primary asset and his grade drops when translated to games. Fangraphs rates Palka’s game power as 40/50; a result no doubt, of his swing-and-miss Achilles heel. Palka has struggled to hold his K-rate below 20 percent and in 2016 he fanned an alarming 38 percent of the time at Triple-A. His high watermark season was in 2015 when he blasted 29 home runs while driving in 90 runs at High-A.
One positive to take away from his stat-sheet is his walk rate this season. He has demonstrated more patience at the plate walking at a career-high 13.7 percent in 2018, however he’s only played in 17 games. Still, Palka is batting a healthy .286 with three doubles, three home runs and seven runs batted in.
Palka is a career .270 hitter with 109 home runs and 361 RBI in 555 minor-league games in six seasons. He will wear No. 18 with the White Sox.