White Sox Dealt Another Blow As Outfield Depth Shrinks

Well, it isn't a White Sox season if it isn't plagued by injury, and unfortunately for them, the injuries are already piling up. On the heels of the Andrew Benintendi news, there is already another injury in the outfield.

Austin Slater has been scratched from today's game with a left oblique strain.

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 3, 2025

According to the White Sox, Austin Slater has been scratched from the lineup today with a left oblique strain. This isn't what the White Sox want to hear, as oblique injuries can linger for a significant amount of time, potentially impacting a player for longer than they anticipate.

At this point it is unclear how much time Slater will miss, but one could imagine they shut him down until he gets to 100% Depending on the severity of the strain, he could be in jeopardy of missing Opening Day, as he may not have time to ramp back up before the season starts.

Now, a crowded MLB outfield suddenly gets much thinner, as they now only have three healthy outfielders on the major league roster. If that wasn't bad enough, the other options haven't been playing well outside of Luis Robert Jr.

Their newest addition, Michael A. Taylor is 0 for 8 with six strikeouts, while Mike Tauchman is 2 for 17 with six strikeouts. Austin Slater was 0 for 9 with five strikeouts prior to getting scratched. The trio of new outfielders the White Sox signed this offseason is a combined 2 for 34 with 17 strikeouts. That isn't what you want out of the guys expected to carry the load in the outfield for a majority of the season.

On top of that, the borderline guys haven't been doing well either, as Corey Julks is 2 for 11 with six strikeouts and Dominic Fletcher is 2 for 9 with three strikeouts. The one outfielder that hasn't been bad with the bat is Oscar Colas, as he is 3 for 10 so far.

We will see how long Slater is out for, but this could allow for a veteran to make the team, such as Joey Gallo or Nick Maton, who has been listed as an outfielder on the roster despite playing mainly in the infield. With more at-bats opening up, they will get a chance to prove they belong on the Opening Day roster.