Chase Meidroth landed on the 10-day injured list on Thursday with a right thumb contusion, an injury the White Sox infielder suffered on July 30 when he was struck in the hand by a pitch in the bottom of the fifth inning against the Phillies
The White Sox kept Meidroth on the active roster for eight days, hoping his thumb would heal. He did appear in Sunday’s 8-5 loss against the Angels as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning, but did not receive an at-bat. After playing shorthanded for five games, White Sox manager Will Venable told reporters Wednesday there was an “expiration date” on how long they could carry him on the roster while he recovered. The team finally pulled the trigger and placed him on the IL the following day.
In a corresponding move, the White Sox selected infielder Jacob Amaya’s contract from Triple-A Charlotte and designated right-hander Gus Varland for assignment.
Amaya appeared in Thursday’s 4-3 extra-inning loss to the Mariners, coming in as a pinch runner. He provides depth at both shortstop and second base, a need with Meidroth sidelined. With Meidroth on the mend, Colson Montgomery will take the reins at shortstop, Brooks Baldwin has shifted to third base, and a platoon of Lenyn Sosa, Curtis Mead, and Josh Rojas will cover first and second base duties.
Amaya has already appeared in 34 games for the White Sox this season. While he is considered a sure-handed defender, the offensive numbers have been ugly. In 62 at-bats, he is slashing just .097/.119/.113.
After getting DFA’d by the White Sox and clearing waivers earlier this year, he returned to the organization and began to show signs of life at the plate in Triple-A Charlotte. In 132 plate appearances, he slashed .291/.402/.464 with a 15.2% walk rate for the Knights.
Since Amaya is out of minor league options, he will likely be DFA’d once again once Meidroth returns in a week or so. But if he can put together a decent showing in the next couple of games, the White Sox could choose to keep him and non-tender the struggling Josh Rojas instead. Amaya is helped by the fact that he is only 26 years old and isn’t yet eligible for arbitration.
Varland has been plagued by injuries this season. After failing to crack the Opening Day roster, he made just two appearances in Triple-A before landing on the IL with a forearm strain. He began a rehab assignment in June but was shut down after just six appearances. He is now out for the season.
Varland is an intriguing arm who could garner interest from other clubs. Last season, he posted a 3.54 ERA in 20.1 innings for the White Sox, striking out 28.2% of opponents and producing a 40.4% ground ball rate.
