The White Sox on Thursday placed relief pitcher Reynaldo Lopez on the 15-day injured list with a lower back strain, retroactive to July 25.
It's getting thin in the bullpen for the Sox, who are already without Aaron Bummer (lat strain) and Garrett Crochet (torn elbow ligament). It's also possible Joe Kelly is going to hit the injured list, as he left Wednesday's game in Colorado with a right biceps injury.
The Sox said they would announce who would take Lopez's place on the roster before Friday's series opener against the Oakland Athletics at Guaranteed Rate Field.
It would come as no surprise if the Sox actually had to add two pitchers -- one to replace Lopez and one to replace Kelly.
The lack of an immediate roster addition makes one wonder whether the Sox are trying to swing a trade. General manager Rick Hahn has already identified the bullpen as his "biggest need" at Tuesday's trade deadline.
While I disagree with Hahn that the bullpen is the biggest need, there is no question that it is among the needs.
Personally, I would prefer to see Hahn shop at the Ryan Tepera level of relievers, not the Craig Kimbrel level.
As you might recall, Hahn made two deadline deals with the crosstown Cubs last season to acquire relief help. He sent A-ball pitcher Bailey Horn to the Cubs in exchange for Tepera, and that was a move that worked out just fine for the Sox. Tepera worked effectively as a middle-inning reliever the last two months plus of the 2021 season.
Hahn also traded off his major league roster, sending Codi Heuer and Nick Madrigal to the North Side for Kimbrel. That move proved to be a disaster for all, as Heuer and Madrigal have been nothing but injured since joining the Cubs, and Kimbrel was worthless to the Sox in 2021 before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to the start of this season.
The lesson here: Don't swing big to get relief help. Smaller moves can help. There are guys out there who can pitch the sixth and seventh innings effectively who can be acquired without giving up high-end prospects and players on the major league roster.
Even with all the injuries, the Sox have the eighth (Kendall Graveman) and ninth innings (Liam Hendriks) covered. They do need a little help building the bridge from the starting pitchers to their high-leverage relievers.
But what the Sox really need are legitimate solutions at corner outfield and second base. They still need that left-handed power bat that we've been coveting but not getting for years.
If the Sox are going to trade high-end prospects at this deadline, they should trade them for a position player who solves a need both this season and in years to come.
With a record of 49-49 on July 28, it's kind of silly to think a couple of relievers is all this team needs to get over the hump. Sure, relief help is needed -- no one who is paying attention would deny that.
But the Sox are also operating two bats short, and I'd like to see an acquisition that can make an impact on a daily basis -- and that means a position player. After all, even the best relievers only pitch three or four times a week.
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