What do we make of Gavin Sheets' red-hot start at Charlotte?

The reports on Gavin Sheets' play at Triple-A Charlotte have been glowing so far. 

Sheets, the White Sox's second-round pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, went 3 for 5 with two home runs and five RBIs in Charlotte's 13-6 victory over Norfolk on Sunday. 

The performance added to the buzz surrounding the left-handed first baseman, as he is now hitting .367/.415/.633 with four doubles, three home runs and 13 RBIs over the first 12 games of the season.

We're already seeing some folks stumping for Sheets to be called up to the majors. 

You can understand why people would feel that way. The Sox are having trouble keeping sluggers healthy. As we've documented, Eloy Jimenez is out five to six months with a pectoral injury. Luis Robert is out 12 to 16 weeks with a strained hip flexor.

Because of these injuries, the Sox's starting outfield in Monday's game against the Minnesota Twins featured Leury Garcia, Billy Hamilton and Danny Mendick. Not exactly the stuff that World Series dreams are made of, right? (And yes, I know the Sox won 16-4 on Monday, but I don't think I would want to ride with that trio in the outfield long term.)

To add an extra layer of challenge to the situation, the Sox will be without first baseman Jose Abreu until at least Friday with left ankle inflammation. 

So yeah, the offense is lacking some key players right now, and to the Sox's credit, they've been using Sheets in right field in Charlotte -- not just at first base -- to see whether he can increase his defensive versatility. I'm sure the thinking is, "What if the oft-injured Adam Eaton gets hurt next? Then what do we do in right field? Is Sheets a potential solution?" 

No harm in kicking the tires on that possibility at Triple-A, and obviously the bat looks good right now.

But here's why I'd pump the brakes on giving Sheets an immediate recall: The hitting environment in Charlotte is extremely friendly, and the Knights have played all 12 of their games at home. Sheets isn't the only guy in Charlotte swinging the bat well. Check out these team stats. Hell, even Marco Hernandez and Seby Zavala are kicking some ass, and neither of those two players are known for high-level offense.

Looking at the schedule, the Knights start a 12-game road trip to Durham and Norfolk on Tuesday night. Let's see if these offensive gains hold for Sheets and some of the other guys at Triple-A. Then we can reassess that situation.

Minor league affiliates remain the same for White Sox amid restructuring

Minor League Baseball is being restructured and realigned this offseason, causing much confusion and speculation about whether major league teams would be changing their affiliates at multiple levels.

Things are starting to sort themselves out now. On Wednesday, Major League Baseball formally invited minor league affiliates to join the new "system."

Nothing is official yet, because invited minor league franchises need to sign "Professional Development Licenses." The licenses are essentially an acceptance of the aforementioned invitation.

There are 120 minor league teams that received invitations -- four for each major league club. You can find a complete list of invitations here. 

What does this mean for the White Sox? Turns out, not much. The Sox on Wednesday invited Triple-A Charlotte, Double-A Birmingham, High-A Winston-Salem and Low-A Kannapolis to be their minor league affiliates for 2021.

Apparently, Kannapolis is changing its nickname from the Intimidators to the Cannon Ballers, but aside from that, the Sox's minor league affiliates are the same as they were in the good ol' pre-pandemic days of 2019.

As a matter of fact, the Sox are the only team among the 30 to have the exact same full-season affiliate alignment in 2021 that they had in 2019.

Thirteen other clubs maintained their affiliates, but there are changes in hierarchy because of league shifts.

There was some speculation that Winston-Salem and Kannapolis would end up in the same league because of realignments in the East Coast A-ball leagues. If that had happened, the Sox would have had to find at least one new Class-A affiliate.

That ended up not happening, so everything is status quo, and the Sox still comfortably have all their minor league teams tucked in the Southeast.

Charlotte Knights blow opportunity to go to Triple-A playoffs

If you've been watching White Sox games lately -- and you deserve a medal if you have -- you have probably noticed that the TV broadcast team of Jason Benetti and Steve Stone has been touting the potential benefits of a deep playoff run for the Sox's Triple-A affiliate, the Charlotte Knights.

It was hard not to feel as though Benetti and Stone were preparing fans for the inevitable -- the fact that top prospects were not going to be called up for September, and that "going to win a championship together" would be ideal for the better players on that Charlotte roster.

Well, guess what?

Charlotte lost eight of its last nine games and blew a four-game lead in the wild-card race over the last 10 days. So, I guess you might say the Knights had the experience of "choking together," and we can only hope the players involved will deal with the situation better should they receive such an opportunity again.

The losing streak was characterized by a three-game sweep at the hands of the Durham Bulls, the team that ultimately took the playoff spot away from Charlotte. Here's a true story: Manny Banuelos and Carson Fulmer basically blew it for the Knights.

Banuelos made a rehab start Aug. 27 and got shelled for seven earned runs over four innings. He gave up seven hits, including three home runs, as Durham beat Charlotte, 10-6.

The very next day, the Knights took a 2-1 lead into the seventh inning, only to see Fulmer come on and allow three of the four batters he faced to reach base -- two on walks and one on a hit. Two of those runners ended up scoring as Durham topped Charlotte, 3-2.

If the Knights win either of those two games, they are in the playoffs, Durham is not, and the season continues for two of the Sox's top prospects -- Luis Robert and Nick Madrigal.

Instead, Robert and Madrigal are going home without a September call-up -- money and service time are most important, you know? -- while Fulmer and Banuelos hysterically were the only two men the Sox called to the big leagues on Sept. 1.

Both these two failed pitchers were seen on the mound Monday, giving up runs as the Sox lost, 11-3, to the Cleveland Indians. With the defeat, the South Siders (60-77) tied their season-worst losing streak at seven games. Will these guys ever win a game again? It doesn't seem like it.

For the record, the Sox did make some call-ups on Tuesday now that Charlotte's season is over. Zack Collins is back, as he should be, and Danny Mendick is rightfully getting a shot. With Jon Jay going on the 60-day injured list with a hip problem, Mendick was added to the 40-man roster.

Let's hope both Collins and Mendick get some playing time from manager Rick Renteria. It would be nice to have more information on these two players going into the offseason. Can Collins be on this roster as a catcher in 2020? Is Mendick a viable option as a utility infielder? I don't know, but now is a good time to see what we can learn about these two guys.

Outfielder Daniel Palka and pitcher Dylan Covey also were recalled, in two moves that we need not get excited over. Let's just hope we don't see Covey back in the starting rotation, and let's hope we don't see Palka getting at-bats ahead of Collins.

Deep thoughts: Should Ryan Cordell take Adam Engel's roster spot?

Adam Engel

Outfielder Ryan Cordell hit for the cycle Wednesday night in the Charlotte Knights' 10-9 victory over the Norfolk Tides.

Cordell, who started the season with the White Sox and appeared in five games before being optioned to Triple-A, went 5 for 5 with four runs scored and three RBIs in the victory. He's 6 for 9 since being sent down.

Hmmmmm ... Cordell only had six at-bats in the major leagues in those five games, and he struck out in three of the six. But, he also produced a two-run, pinch-hit home run that gave the Sox a lead. His other hit was an RBI double.

I don't necessarily think Cordell has much lasting power in professional baseball, but he seems to be playing well right now, and that makes me wonder whether he'd be a better use of a roster spot than Adam Engel -- who is being squeezed out of playing time by Leury Garcia, of all people.

On Tuesday, the Sox lost, 10-5, to the Tampa Bay Rays. But, they had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth. The Sox had pulled within 8-5, and they had the bases loaded with two outs. Yolmer Sanchez was due to hit, but with a left-handed pitcher on the mound, manager Rick Renteria decided to use a pinch hitter.

And he summoned ... Engel?!

Engel, the lifetime .205 hitter, who is 2 for 15 so far this season. Naturally, Engel struck out to end the threat, and that was it for the Sox on that day.

You can't help but wonder if Cordell would have been more of a threat with the bat in that scenario -- at least in the short run while he's hot. (Note: Cordell is NOT a long-term answer for anything.)

If Renteria isn't going to start Engel in center field every day to take advantage of Engel's run prevention skills, then why is Engel on the roster?

Just wondering.

Some rare positivity: Dylan Cease pitches well in Triple-A debut

Let's preface by saying this: Dylan Cease should not be called up to the White Sox until he is ready to pitch in the major leagues. There still are things he can improve upon at the Triple-A level.

That said, it's possible Cease is the best starting pitcher in the organization right now. The Sox's best healthy pitching prospect made his Triple-A season debut Tuesday in Game 1 of a doubleheader and tossed five shutout innings in a 4-0 Charlotte victory over Norfolk.

Cease struck out five, allowed three hits, issued no walks (!) and threw 47 of his 73 pitches for strikes. His fastball sat at 96 mph, and he retired the final 10 batters he faced.

Good start.

Now, it is possible Norfolk isn't swinging the bats very well. The Knights won the second game of the doubleheader, 3-0, with Dylan Covey, Zach Thompson and Thyago Vieira combining on a one-hitter with 10 strikeouts.

I mention this only to put things in proper context. It is only one outing for Cease, but as Sox fans, we are starved for some good news on the pitching front these days.

At the major league level Wednesday, Reynaldo Lopez got his rear handed to him again as the Sox lost, 9-1, to the Tampa Bay Rays. 

Lopez lasted 4.1 innings, allowing eight earned runs on 10 hits. He struck out five, walked four and gave up three home runs. His season ERA swelled to 12.15.

It's concerning. Lopez's 2018 peripherals suggested maybe he wasn't as good as his 3.91 ERA, and a reasonable person shouldn't be surprised by some regression from the right-hander this season. But there's regression, and then there's falling off a cliff.

This is falling off a cliff. Lopez has given up an alarming six home runs in 13.1 innings this season.

The Sox (3-8) did not get a single quality start on the six-game homestand. Sox starters have posted a 14.91 ERA over the past six games. It's a miracle they won one.

As a Sox fan, I've praying to see some credible run prevention on the field. At this point, I don't care if they lose 2-1. I just want to see somebody pitch well, and see some players catch the damn ball and make smart plays on defense.

An awesome read on Eloy Jimenez ...

Just a link today:

https://milbprospective.mlblogs.com/scouting-report-eloy-jim%C3%A9nez-61b6e9cbf8c6

Tyler Maun of MiLB.com interviewed coaches and players who have faced White Sox outfield prospect Eloy Jimenez.

Lots of good, insightful comments in that story. A great read for any Sox fan.

Entering Friday's play, Jimenez is hitting .376/.423/.693 with eight home runs, eight doubles, 17 RBIs and only 12 strikeouts in 111 plate appearances at Triple-A Charlotte.

You just have to think Jimenez will soon be on the South Side of Chicago. He keeps knocking at the door, louder and louder every day.

Eloy Jimenez, Dylan Cease among White Sox prospects to receive promotions

Eloy Jimenez

The second half of the season begins Thursday for three of the White Sox's minor-league affiliates -- Double-A Birmingham, Class-A Winston-Salem and Class-A Kannapolis -- and it has been no secret that several Sox prospects were going to receive promotions.

I trust James Fegan of The Athletic as much as anyone as a Sox source, so here are the moves that he has tweeted out Thursday afternoon.

Top prospect Eloy Jimenez, catcher Seby Zavala and relief pitcher Ian Hamilton have been promoted from Birmingham to Triple-A Charlotte.

After contributing to Winston-Salem's first-half division title in the Carolina League, starting pitchers Dylan Cease and Bernardo Flores, relievers Matt Foster and Zach Thompson and outfielders Luis Alexander Basabe, Alex Call and Joel Booker have been promoted to Birmingham.

Outfielders Luis Robert and Luis Gonzalez, shortstop Laz Rivera, starting pitchers Lincoln Henzman and Blake Battenfield and relief pitcher Tyler Johnson have been promoted from Kannapolis to Winston-Salem.

The White Sox also released veteran outfielder Michael Saunders from the organization.

And, hey, some other good news: The Sox can't lose Thursday. Thursday's game with the Oakland Athletics has been postponed because of the horrible, wet weather we are experiencing in and near Chicago.

The two clubs will play a straight doubleheader at 3:10 p.m. Friday. 

White Sox infielder Matt Davidson hitting better in recent games

Matt Davidson

The White Sox (24-47) have lost five games in a row, and they appear to be descending back into the seventh sector of hell.

But infielder Matt Davidson has provided a bit of a bright spot. He homered for the second consecutive game Monday, his team-leading 13th home run, as the Sox lost, 6-2, to the Cleveland Indians.

It's good to see Davidson hitting for power after returning from the disabled list. He did not play from May 22 to June 5 because of back spasms, and for some reason, he was thrown right back into the major league lineup without the benefit of a rehab assignment.

In his first seven games after coming off the disabled list, Davidson went 2 for 24 with 14 strikeouts. The slump culminated in back-to-back games in which Davidson went 0 for 4 with four strikeouts June 10 and 11.

But in the past six games, Davidson has found his swing again, going 9 for 23 with three doubles, two home runs and four RBIs. He's still struck out nine times, of course, but the high strikeout totals become more palatable when coupled with power production.

The way the Sox have handled rehab assignments, or the lack thereof, has been confusing to me as of late. Davidson came right back into the major leagues, but Avisail Garcia remains at Triple-A Charlotte after five rehab games.

In five games for the Knights, Garcia is slashing .353/.450/.706 with three doubles, three walks, a home run and six RBIs. It seems to me he's ready to return to the lineup, but the Sox are saying Garcia will play two more games in Charlotte on Tuesday and Wednesday, before a possible return this weekend against the Oakland A's.

Granted, Garcia hasn't played in the majors since April 23 because of a strained right hamstring. So, he missed much more time than Davidson, but if he's feeling good, it's head-scratching why he hasn't been activated.

The Sox had no problem throwing Davidson right into the mix, but they are taking their time with Garcia, for whatever reason.

Perhaps Michael Kopech really does need more Triple-A time

Up until now, I've been a proponent of Michael Kopech getting an opportunity to continue his development at the major-league level.

However, the White Sox's top pitching prospect gave me pause with a poor performance Thursday night.

In Charlotte's 6-4 loss to the Norfolk Tides, Kopech walked eight, threw five wild pitches, hit two batters and threw only 35 of his 86 pitches for strikes. He struck out two and gave up two hits.

He only lasted three innings, and somehow, he only gave up five runs.

The control problems continue a trend for Kopech, who has had three uneven outings in row. Here is his composite pitching line from his past three starts:

11 IP, 12 H, 14 R, 14 ER, 17 BB, 14 K, 3 HBPs

OK, I'll relent and say general manager Rick Hahn is doing the right thing by keeping Kopech at Charlotte a little longer. However, I still believe Eloy Jimenez should have been promoted from Birmingham to Triple-A by now.

Indians 5, White Sox 2

I can't say Carlos Rodon's second start back from the disabled list Thursday was a bad one -- he didn't lose -- Chris Volstad took the loss in relief.

But Rodon was not sharp, so let's call the outing "laborious."

The left-hander went five innings, allowing two runs on two hits. He struck out four, walked three and hit two batters. A low point came in the third inning when he walked Yan Gomes with the bases loaded to force in the tying run.

We'd all like to see Rodon get deeper into games, but the score was tied at 2 when he left the game after five, so he gave the Sox a chance to win.

The Indians won, however, after Jose Ramirez broke the tie with a two-out, two-strike, two-run home run off Volstad in the top of the seventh. Volstad had a first base open, and he just got too much of the plate with his pitch.

I was frustrated with that outcome, because Edwin Encarnacion was the on-deck hitter for Cleveland in that situation. Although Encarnacion is an accomplished hitter, he is mired in a 2-for-19 slump.

I'd rather take my chances with him, righty-on-righty, than let Cleveland's most dangerous hitter (Ramirez) beat me.

Ramirez, in this case, burned the Sox, who settled for a split of the four-game series.

Michael Kopech named Southern League's Most Outstanding Pitcher

White Sox pitching prospect Michael Kopech has been named the Southern League's Most Outstanding Pitcher for 2017.

Kopech, 21, recently was promoted to Triple-A Charlotte, but this recognition is for the right-hander's season-long dominance at Double-A Birmingham.

In 22 starts for the Barons, Kopech went 8-7 with a 2.87 ERA. Among qualified pitchers, he led the Southern League in strikeouts (155), batting average against (.184), hits allowed (77) and strikeouts per nine innings pitched (11.69).

Kopech becomes the first Sox farmhand to win this honor since Mark Buehrle in 2000. In that season, Buehrle went 8-4 with a 2.28 ERA before receiving a July promotion to the Sox. Buehrle never returned to the minor leagues after that. The following year, in 2001, he won 16 games for the Sox, and the rest is history. The Sox retired his No. 56 in June.

I doubt Kopech will be on any fast track to the major leagues. He's thrown 129.1 innings this season combined between Birmingham and Charlotte, and that is by far a career high.

So far for Charlotte, he's 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in two starts. He's scheduled to pitch for the Knights on Friday night, and I'm guessing that will be it for his year, since the minor-league regular season ends within a week.

There have been rumblings that Kopech will compete for a rotation spot in spring training next year, but the smart money has him starting in Charlotte in 2018. Even if everything continues to go well, I can't see Kopech coming to Chicago until after the Super Two service time issues are no longer an issue.

Keep in mind, we didn't see Yoan Moncada or Reynaldo Lopez get a call to the majors until the second half this year. Kopech is one prospect we could see in the second half of next year, but most likely not before then.

Lucas Giolito throws seven-inning no-hitter; Tyler Danish recalled

Tyler Danish

It's been hard to find positives in Lucas Giolito's body of work this season. The right-hander at one point was the No. 1-ranked pitching prospect in all of baseball, and he was the biggest name acquired by the White Sox in the deal that sent outfielder Adam Eaton to the Washington Nationals.

Unfortunately, it's been so far, so bad for Giolito since he joined the Sox organization. Entering his start Thursday for the Triple-A Charlotte Knights, Giolito had compiled a 1-5 record with an ugly 6.41 ERA in eight games.

But finally, something clicked Thursday night against the Syracuse Chiefs. Giolito threw a seven-inning no-hitter in a 4-0 victory in the first game of a doubleheader. He struck out only three, and he walked three, but he also needed only 87 pitches to record the 21 outs. Fifty of those 87 pitches were strikes, and the win lowered his ERA to a somewhat less unsightly 5.44.

The no-hitter is the first in the history of BB&T Ballpark in Charlotte, which is a notorious hitters' park. It's the first no-hitter for the Knights since Andre Rienzo tossed a seven-inning gem in 2013.

The Sox have to hope this is a confidence boost and a turning point for Giolito.

Roster moves

The White Sox on Friday placed starting pitcher Dylan Covey on the 10-day disabled list with oblique soreness. In some ways, the time off might be merciful for Covey, who is 0-4 with an 8.12 ERA in eight starts.

Reliever Juan Minaya takes his place on the roster. The right-hander has a 1.23 ERA in 10 appearances and 14.2 innings at Charlotte since coming off the disabled list (abdominal strain). The addition of Minaya means the Sox are carrying nine relief pitchers for Friday's doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers.

They might need the help, since the Sox's two scheduled starting pitchers are Mike Pelfrey and Tyler Danish. If the Sox get five decent innings out of both men, that would be considered a success.

Danish was recalled Friday to be the 26th man on the roster for the doubleheader. The 22-year-old right-hander made three relief appearances for the Sox last year, but this will be his first start in the major leagues.

He was 1-3 with a 3.15 ERA in eight starts and 45.2 innings for the Knights.

If you're going out to the ol' ballpark for the doubleheader Friday, you might see some offense. Detroit is basically doing the same thing the Sox are: starting one struggling pitcher (Matt Boyd) and one minor-league call-up (Buck Farmer). Top-of-the-rotation starters are nowhere to be found in these matchups.

White Sox prospect Yoan Moncada named International League Batter of the Week

Does anybody feel like breaking down the three-game series sweep the White Sox suffered in Baltimore over the weekend?

Me neither. That was a pitiful performance by a below-average team at the end of a 10-game road trip. So why make a Monday even gloomier by reliving it?

Instead, let's talk about White Sox prospect Yoan Moncada, who finished a triple short of the cycle Sunday in Charlotte's 7-1 victory over Gwinnett.

Moncada went 3 for 4 with a home run, a double, a walk and a stolen base. For the week of May 1 to 7, the second baseman hit .500 with two home runs and four RBIs. For his efforts, he has been named International League Batter of the Week.

That performance is an extension of a longer-term tear that Moncada has been on. Over his past 15 games, he is hitting .400/.464/.617 with 16 runs scored, three homers and seven RBIs in 69 plate appearances.

For those concerned about Moncada's strikeout rate, yes, he has struck out 26.7 percent of the time in his 124 plate appearances this season. But, that number is starting to come down. His K rate over the past 15 games? It's 21.7 percent. Still a little high, but a clear improvement. For the season, he's hitting .352 with six home runs and 11 RBIs.

When you're watching the Sox get shut out and go 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position -- as they did Sunday -- it's hard not to look forward to the day when Moncada gets called up. It won't happen until at least May 15. If the Sox want to keep Moncada for a seventh year of control -- and they do -- they can't call him up until then.

I'm not going to be the guy who calls for Moncada to be promoted as quickly as possible. He's ready whenever he's ready, and I can be patient. At the same time, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited to see what he can do against major league pitching.

And, also, Carson Fulmer is progressing at Triple-A Charlotte. He got the win in the aforementioned game against Gwinnett. He went six innings and allowed only four base runners (three hits, one walk) and one run. His season ERA is down to 2.88. He has held the opposition to two runs or less in five of his first six starts.

Amid all the hype about prospects who were acquired over the offseason, the best pitcher at Triple-A has been a guy who was in the organization last year -- that's Fulmer.