White Sox Place Yoán Moncada On IL

The Chicago White Sox placed third baseman, Yoán Moncada, on the injuries list due to an oblique strain. This marks the fourth key contributor on the White Sox who has been bitten by the injury bug. Injuries plagued the White Sox in 2021, and with the first pitch of the 2022 season yet to be thrown the season is already off to an ominous start. The White Sox announced that Ryan Burr, Joe Kelly, Lance Lynn, Garrett Crochet, Yoán Moncada, and Yermin Mercedes will all start the season on the 10-day IL. Lynn, Kelly, Crochet, and Moncada are the biggest concern. Crochet figures to miss the entire season after it was announced he will likely need to undergo Tommy John surgery. Lynn tore a ligament near his knee which will sideline him for at least two months. Kelly and Moncada have had injury problems in the past so their absence is also concerning. Moncada tweaked a side muscle upon exiting Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Padres. It was ruled a Grade 1 oblique strain that will cost him the first three weeks of the season.

James Fegan of the Athletic reported that Moncada wanted to play through the pain but felt it whenever he laughed, sneezed, or swung a bat. Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Andrew Vaughn was taking ground balls at third base. Vaughn was forced to learn how to play the outfield last season because of injuries to Eloy Jimenez and Adam Engel. Thrid base should be a much more natural transition for Vaughn who is a first baseman by trade.

Vaughn is a good athlete with lots of potential as a hitter. However, it will be tough to replicate what Moncada brings to the table at third base. Moncada's 70 home runs with the White Sox are the third-highest total in franchise history by a switch hitter. In 2019 he had a break-out year hitting .317 with a .915 OPS. He had 25 home runs and 79 RBIs his largest totals to date. His offensive WAR was 5.0 which was the 10th best in the American League. In 2021 Moncada drew 84 walks and set a career-high in OBP with a .375 mark. That was the third-highest total in the American League and .050 points above the Major League average. He also had a WAR of 4.0. Moncada also set a career-high in contact percentage and a career-low in strikeout percentage. He is also a Gold Glove-caliber defender at the hot corner. Moncada has finished in the top five in assists amongst American League third basemen for three consecutive seasons. He also finished first in double plays and turned as a third baseman in 2019 and 2020. This is no fluke either. Moncada’s athleticism and range allow him to reach more balls than the average third baseman. His 3.09 range factor per 9 innings led all American League third basemen in 2019. In 2021 he averaged three defensive runs saved above the Major League average. His absence from the lineup deal's a big blow for Tony La Russa's squad.