Zack Collins made his MLB debut and drew a walk, pinch hitting against the Cubs at Wrigley Field Wednesday night. Then, he got his first hit in the big leagues, blasting a three-run home run against the Rangers Friday night in Texas.
The top catching prospect in the White Sox minor league system is making his first start behind the plate Saturday, but there’s still the question of how long will he be up in the majors.
Welington Castillo was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to June 17, with a strained left oblique. That injury cleared the way for a Collins call up and it sounds like the White Sox are open about how long the left-handed hitter will stick around in the majors this year.
Via the Chicago Sun-Times.
“We’re going to remain open-minded about how long Zack will be with us,” general manager Rick Hahn said. “Even if it turns out that his stay is only the few weeks until Castillo returns, we still view this as a good opportunity to advance his development. Having him experience firsthand both the prep work and adjustments that go into game-planning at the major-league level will serve him well for the long run.”
This should really be a no-brainer for the White Sox. Even when Castillo returns, Collins should remain on the roster and we all know who should be the one to go.
Yonder Alonso.
White Sox manager Rick Renteria has finally stopped giving Alonso most of the starts as the DH and even some at first base beginning in June.
Alonso doesn’t fit the current or future plans of the White Sox and is only owed $8 million this year. It should be an easy decision. Dump Alonso and give Collins as many opportunities to face MLB pitching, while hopefully improving his catching skills behind the plate.
But for now, White Sox fans don’t have to worry about that decision until Castillo is ready to return.
