White Sox prospect Luis Robert injures thumb (again)

Can someone on the White Sox's coaching staff please teach Luis Robert how to slide?

The prized outfield prospect is once again injured, having hurt his thumb sliding head-first into second base on a stolen base attempt Saturday during an intrasquad game.

This is the third time Robert has hurt his thumb in the past 12 months. He first got hurt on a slide during spring training last year, and he reinjured the thumb on July 3 of last season.

Robert played in only 50 games in 2018; the injuries cost the 21-year-old valuable development time.

Fortunately, this injury is not thought to be serious. The team expects him to return to game action as soon as Thursday.

Sox manager Rick Renteria said Robert wasn't supposed to be trying to steal in the intrasquad game. He apparently made the attempt on his own. Renteria said the youngster was guilty of a "lapse in his own judgment."

I do applaud the Sox coaches for not wanting Robert to take risks on the base paths in meaningless games. However, it's clear he needs to be coached on his technique.

This is a player who is important to the Sox's rebuild. Fix this problem, so that Robert can stay on the field.

Madrigal among first cuts

The Sox made their first roster cuts of the spring Tuesday. Nick Madrigal, the team's No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft, was among the players reassigned to minor-league camp.

Outfielders Blake Rutherford and Luis Gonzalez and left-handed pitchers Jordan Guerrero and Bernardo Flores also are headed to minor-league camp.

Dylan Cease, three other prospects added to White Sox 40-man-roster

Some White Sox roster moves to catch up on:

Pitchers Dylan Cease, Jordan Stephens and Kodi Medeiros and catcher Seby Zavala were added to the 40-man roster Tuesday. The moves protect each of these players from being selected in the upcoming Rule 5 draft.

Cease was the most obvious addition. With Michael Kopech out for 2019 with an elbow injury, Cease is the top-rated healthy pitching prospect in the Sox's system. He finished the season at Double-A Birmingham, where he went 3-0 with an 0.94 ERA in his last nine starts. If Cease remains healthy and continues on a positive development path, we could see him in Chicago during the second half of the 2019 season.

Medeiros, a 22-year-old lefty, was acquired in July in the trade that sent relief pitcher Joakim Soria to the Milwaukee Brewers. Combined between the two organizations, Medeiros appeared in 27 games (22 starts) at the Double-A level and went 7-7 with a 3.60 ERA.

Stephens, 26, is a right-hander who is reaching that pivotal point where he either makes it to the big leagues and fades away. He split time between Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte in 2018, going 8-10 with a 4.23 ERA over a combined 28 starts at the two levels.

Zavala, 25, becomes the third catcher on the roster behind Welington Castillo and Omar Narvaez, and he figures to be the guy to get the call should either of those two incumbents get injured or falter in 2018. Zavala was a Southern League All-Star at Birmingham before earning a midseason promotion to Charlotte. He hit .258 with 13 home runs and 51 RBIs in a combined 104 games at the two levels. He also threw out 32.7 percent (18 for 55) of attempted basestealers.

Left-handed pitcher Ian Clarkin, who was acquired from the New York Yankees in the 2017 trade involving David Robertson, Todd Frazier and Tommy Kahnle, no longer is with the Sox organization after he was claimed off waivers by the Cubs.

Of note, pitchers Spencer Adams and Jordan Guerrero were not added to the 40-man roster, which makes them vulnerable to be chosen in the Rule 5 draft. It's clear from these decisions that the Sox believe Stephens and Medeiros are more likely as middle tier prospects to make contributions at the major-league level moving forward.

Right now, the Sox have three starting rotation spots filled (Carlos Rodon, Reynaldo Lopez, Lucas Giolito). The other two spots seem likely to be addressed through free agency or trade, but if not, Stephens and Medeiros would have an inside track over Adams or Guerrero in competing for a job.

After these moves, the Sox's roster stands at 38. So, for those of you dreaming -- and you are dreaming -- that the Sox could sign BOTH Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, there are two roster spots open.

Charlie Tilson among first round of White Sox roster cuts

Adam Engel

Charlie Tilson will not be the Opening Day center fielder for the White Sox.

The Sox made eight roster moves Tuesday, and Tilson was among the players optioned to Triple-A Charlotte.

It's somewhat surprising to see Tilson sent out the second week of March, as he was believed to be a contender for a starting job in center field, along with Adam Engel, Leury Garcia and Ryan Cordell.

But after a 3-for-18 performance in eight spring games, the club obviously has decided Tilson needs more at-bats in the minor leagues. General manager Rick Hahn foreshadowed this possibility at SoxFest, when he noted that both Tilson and Cordell have missed significant time because of injuries.

Cordell has shown well this spring -- he's 4 for 13 in six games with four walks and no strikeouts -- but he soon might join Tilson in Triple-A just because he didn't play at all the second half of last season.

That leaves Engel and Garcia in the mix, and we know the Sox like Engel's defense. It's also no secret the 26-year-old needed a swing overhaul after hitting .166 in 301 plate appearances at the big-league level last season. So far, so good for Engel this spring -- he's 5 for 16 with two home runs and four RBIs in eight games.

Garcia is the most accomplished player in contention for the center field job, but most of his playing time this spring has been in the infield. Garcia is an infielder by trade, but he was given time in the outfield last year to take advantage of his athleticism. When healthy, he was decent in 2017, posting a .270/.316/.423 slash line with nine home runs and 33 RBIs in 87 games.

Right now, Engel might have the inside track to be the center fielder based upon his defense, his health and some signs of offensive progress.

In other moves, pitcher Thyago Vieira was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. Right-hander Jose Ruiz was optioned to Single-A Winston-Salem.

Injured third baseman Jake Burger, catcher Alfredo Gonzalez and pitchers Michael Ynoa, Jordan Guerrero and Dylan Covey all were assigned to minor-league camp.

First spring training game matchup: Dylan Covey vs. Wilmer Font

Camelback Ranch

The White Sox typically open Cactus League play against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It makes sense, after all, because both teams train at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona.

This year is no different.

The two teams will get spring ball underway at 2 p.m. Friday. You can listen to the game on WGN AM-720.

In the past, this has meant that the first live ABs of the spring for Sox hitters come against the best pitcher in the world -- Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw.

This year is different.

According to a Los Angeles Times report, 27-year-old right-hander Wilmer Font will get the start for the Dodgers on Friday. Font posted a 3.48 ERA in 25 starts at Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2017, and he had an unsuccessful September call-up to the Dodgers in which he had a 17.18 ERA in three appearances.

Might be a slight downgrade from Kershaw, huh?

And, hey, it makes the game a little more of a fair fight. The Sox are starting right-hander Dylan Covey, who went 0-7 in the major leagues in 2017 and already got designated for assignment this spring.

In case you were wondering who is pitching the first few spring games for the Sox, there's a tweet for that. And here's what it says:

Friday: Covey
Saturday: Hector Santiago
Sunday: Jordan Guerrero
Monday: Michael Kopech

I'm guessing Monday's game might get more media attention that some of these others ...

White Sox add Eloy Jimenez, four others to 40-man roster

Eloy Jimenez

The White Sox on Monday added five prospects to their 40-man roster ahead of the deadline to protect players from the Rule 5 draft.

Among them, of course, is Eloy Jimenez, the prized outfield prospect the Sox acquired in the Jose Quintana deal. The other four additions are first baseman Casey Gillaspie, pitcher Ian Clarkin and outfielders Micker Adolfo and Luis Alexander Basabe.

To make room on the roster, the Sox outrighted right-handed pitchers Chris Beck and Tyler Danish.

I say good riddance to Beck. I'm not a fan; he always reminded me of Mike MacDougal, and he had the 6.40 ERA over 65 innings with the Sox in 2017 to prove it. I won't rehash why I can't stand Beck, because I've made those points before, so I might as well just provide a link.

Danish struggled as a starter in Triple-A Charlotte this year, and he was in a car crash right at the end of the season that injured his non-throwing shoulder. He seems to be slipping down the organizational depth chart more and more with each passing day.

The Sox's roster is now at 39 players. It's a little bit surprising that neither left-handed pitcher Jordan Guerrero nor infield Jake Peter were added to the roster. Both are midtier prospects that are close to major-league ready, and both could be enticing to teams looking to raid some of the Sox's organizational depth in the Rule 5 draft.

Report: White Sox 1B/DH Adam LaRoche 'stepping away from baseball'

Adam LaRoche

White Sox 1B/DH Adam LaRoche is stepping away from baseball, according to a Chicago Tribune report.

The 36-year-old apparently intends to retire, but teammates reportedly asked him to reconsider during a lengthy team meeting Tuesday morning.

LaRoche said he would take a couple days to ponder his future, but it sounds like his career is over.

"I’m confident I am stepping away from baseball," LaRoche said in the Tribune report. "Out of respect for my manager, my GM, these guys and my teammates have asked me for an hour (to reconsider). I’ve tried to convince them I am convinced, but I will do them that, and give it a day or two, and then come back in and finish the story."

LaRoche had a career-worst season for the Sox in 2015. He batted just .207 with a .634 OPS, 12 home runs and 44 RBIs in 127 games. He has been sidelined for much of this spring by a back injury.

It would be surprising to see LaRoche walk away, as he is owed $13 million this season. The Sox will be off the hook for that if he retires.

From a baseball perspective, it's too bad that he didn't arrive at this decision two months ago. The Sox would have had $13 million more to spend in free agency in the offseason.

From a personal perspective, hopefully there isn't a health issue or a family problem that has caused LaRoche to make this abrupt decision. It didn't work out for him with the White Sox, but there should be no ill will directed toward him.

White Sox make four roster moves

The Sox made four roster moves Tuesday.

Pitchers Brandon Brennan and Daniel Webb were optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. Pitcher Jordan Guerrero was assigned to minor-league camp. Infielder Mike Olt was given his release.

Tim Anderson leads Baseball America's list of top White Sox prospects

Baseball America updated its list of top 10 White Sox prospects Monday, and it comes as no surprise that shortstop Tim Anderson occupies the No. 1 spot.

Anderson, the Sox's 2013 first-round draft pick, made major strides both offensively and defensively while playing with the Double-A Birmingham Barons in 2015. He posted a .312/.350/.429 slash line with five home runs, 46 RBIs and 49 stolen bases in 125 games.

Anderson is expected to start the season in Triple-A Charlotte, and could be in line to make his major-league debut sometime in the 2016 season.

Second on the list is last year's first-round draft pick, right-hander Carson Fulmer. The Vanderbilt product threw 26 minor-league innings in 2015 and struck out 26 while compiling a 2.08 ERA. The Sox have a history of fast-tracking first-round college pitchers (Chris Sale, Carlos Rodon) to the big leagues, but fans should not expect to see Fulmer on the South Side in 2016. He's a fine prospect, but not quite as advanced at this stage of his career as Sale and Rodon were.

Right-handed pitcher Spencer Adams ranks third. One thing I like about the 6-foot-3 Adams is he throws strikes. He split 2015 between Single-A Kannapolis and Winston-Salem. In 24 combined starts and 129.1 innings, Adams went 12-5 with a 2.99 ERA. He fanned 96 and walked just 18.

Twenty-year-old third base prospect Trey Michalczewski checks in at No. 4. Michalczewski posted a .259/.295/.366 slash with seven home runs and 75 RBIs in 127 games at Winston-Salem last year. The kid is 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, so the Sox are hoping he develops into a player with extra-base pop.

Jacob May is No. 5. The speedy outfielder swiped 37 bags in 98 games at Birmingham last year, but he's just a punch-and-judy hitter at this point, as evidenced by his .275/.329/.334 slash line.

Rounding at the top 10 are right-handed pitcher Tyler Danish, outfielder Adam Engel, left-handed pitcher Jordan Guerrero, outfielder Courtney Hawkins and first baseman Corey Zangari.

Engel is probably the most notable of those five names. He played his way onto the list by winning the MVP of the Arizona Fall League this year.