Happy July 4th from The Baseball Kid

Yoan Moncada's June was the best month of his professional career

Yoan Moncada

The White Sox have three players headed to Cleveland for the All-Star Game on July 9: Lucas Giolito, James McCann and Jose Abreu.

That's a pretty good haul for a team with a 39-42 record at the season's midpoint. Giolito is the Sox's best pitcher, and he's more than deserving. McCann has been the Sox's best position player, and he's also deserving.

Abreu might have been chosen based upon name recognition. Yes, his 19 home runs and 60 RBIs put him on a very nice pace for the season. However, his .268/.309/.508 slash line puts him below his career norms in all three categories. This is just an OK season for Abreu, not really an All-Star-caliber one.

If a third player from the Sox is deserving, wouldn't it have to be Yoan Moncada? The 24-year-old has changed positions this season, moving from second base to third base. Frankly, he's a better third baseman than he was a second baseman.

But a third baseman needs to hit for more power, you say? I'd say Moncada's doing a pretty good job at the plate. His slash line for the season is .304/.357/.528. He's got 33 extra-base hits -- 16 doubles, 14 home runs and three triples -- to go along with 44 RBIs. His strikeout total at the halfway point of the season sits at 87, so he likely will not strike out 217 times again -- as he did in 2018.

Remember, Moncada's slash line last season was .235/.315/.400. If it weren't for Giolito, we'd be talking about him being the most improved player on the roster.

And here's Moncada's June: .381/.435/.667 with five doubles, four home runs, a triple and 15 RBIs in 18 games.

Let's hope Moncada's second half is every bit as good as his first.

White Sox take two out of three from first-place Twins

Ross Detwiler got a win for the Sox? Believe it!

The White Sox spent the past two weeks playing some of the best teams in baseball, and much to my surprise, they held their ground.

Fifteen games against the New York Yankees, Cubs, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins resulted in a 7-8 record, which for a rebuilding team is respectable.

The Sox capped this difficult stretch off this weekend by taking two of three games at home against the AL Central-leading Twins. Granted, Minnesota was without Eddie Rosario, its leading RBI man, but the Sox were without one of their best overall players in Tim Anderson, so this qualifies as a nice series win.

Here's a look back at the weekend:

Friday, June 28
White Sox 6, Twins 4: It was not a good pitching matchup on paper for the Sox. Ross Detwiler, who had been signed out of the Independent League earlier this season, was called up to make a start against Minnesota ace Jose Berrios.

Detwiler (1-0) surprised by tossing five innings of two-run ball, while the Sox scored six runs (only three earned) off Berrios (8-4). James McCann and Eloy Jimenez each hit two-run homers off Berrios, with Jimenez's blast in the eighth inning turning out to be the deciding blow.

In fairness to Berrios, he probably should not have been pitching in the eighth inning. The Twins lost in 18 innings Thursday, and clearly, they were trying to get one more inning out of Berrios to save their tired bullpen. Jimenez took advantage, extending the Sox's lead to 6-2 with his 13th homer of the season.

Those two runs came in handy because Kelvin Herrera gave up a single and a home run to Miguel Sano in the top of the ninth. With the score 6-4, Alex Colome was summoned, and he got the last three outs to record his 17th save of the season.

Saturday, June 29
Twins 10, White Sox 3: Minnesota is leading the league in home runs, and it pounded out five of them in this game -- two by Nelson Cruz, two by Max Kepler and one by Sano.

Ivan Nova (3-7) took the loss for the Sox, allowing four runs over six innings. The low-leverage relieves in the Sox bullpen could not keep this one close. Minnesota scored six runs from the seventh inning on, including two each off Josh Osich, Carson Fulmer and Jose Ruiz.

Jimenez hit his 14th home run of the season in the bottom of the ninth for one of the few highlights for the South Siders, who were soundly beaten in this one.

Sunday, June 30
White Sox 4, Twins 3: It looks as though Lucas Giolito is back on track after a couple of shaky outings. The Sox's best starter improved to 11-2 by tossing five innings of shutout ball.

Giolito allowed only one hit, struck out four and did not issue any walks. He certainly could have continued for a few innings more, but Mother Nature intervened in the top of the sixth inning with the Sox leading, 2-0. A torrential downpour followed by some steady rain delayed the game for two hours, 54 minutes, ending the day for both Giolito and Minnesota starter Lewis Thorpe (0-1).

When the game resumed, the Sox increased their lead to 4-0 in the sixth on four consecutive singles by Yoan Moncada, Jose Abreu, McCann and Jon Jay. It was a good day for Moncada, who went 3 for 4 and hit his 14th home run of the season in the third inning.

The Twins fought back with three in the seventh off the combination of Evan Marshall and Aaron Bummer, but Bummer rallied to fan both C.J. Cron and Jonathan Schoop with two men on base to escape the jam.

Bummer recorded the first two outs in the eighth before Colome relieved to get the last four outs for his 18th save of the season. The Twins placed a runner on second base with no outs in the top of the ninth after an error on Sox shortstop Leury Garcia and a wild pitch by Colome. However, the closer was able to retire the last three Minnesota batters without more trouble.

The Sox (39-42) will now host the Detroit Tigers (27-52) for a four-game series spanning three days, starting Tuesday night. The series highlight will be Dylan Cease's first major league start. He will pitch for the Sox in Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader. The series concludes with a day game on the Fourth of July.

White Sox to designate Yonder Alonso for assignment

Yonder Alonso

There hasn't been an official announcement, but the White Sox are expected to designate first baseman Yonder Alonso for assignment, according to sources.

Such a move will no doubt bring much rejoicing from the fan base, as Alonso has been a huge disappointment this season.

In 67 games, Alonso has posted a slash line of .178/.275/.301 with seven home runs, six doubles and 27 RBIs. His name has been left out of the lineup more frequently in June. As we sit here on the 27th day of the month, he's had only 35 plate appearances since June 1.

Most people believe Alonso was acquired from the Cleveland Indians over the offseason to try to lure his brother-in-law Manny Machado to the South Side of Chicago. The Sox swung and missed on that sales pitch. Machado signed with the San Diego Padres, and that left general manager Rick Hahn in damage control mode, as he tried to justify the acquisition of Alonso as a "baseball move."

From that perspective, the left-handed Alonso was supposed to provide some pop against right-handed pitchers. He was nothing short of a miserable failure. He actually posted reverse splits while in a Sox uniform.

Against righties, Alonso slashed .156/.249/.249 with four home runs and 15 RBIs in 197 plate appearances. That's too pathetic for words, and it's the sort of performance that causes a man to lose his roster spot.

Presumably, the Sox will make two additions to the 25-man roster before they open a weekend series with the Minnesota Twins on Friday night. Shortstop Tim Anderson is expected to hit the injured list with a high ankle sprain suffered Tuesday in Boston.

There has been no starting pitcher announced for Friday's game, so the Sox will add at least one pitcher to the roster. Perhaps they will also add an outfielder (Daniel Palka? Adam Engel?) knowing that everyday center fielder Leury Garcia is likely going to play shortstop while Anderson recovers from his injury.

Tim Anderson is hurt, but at least Jose Abreu came up with a big home run

Tim Anderson

Just when it looked as though the White Sox were going to get swept in Boston and limp home (literally) with a 2-6 record on their eight-game road trip, Jose Abreu flipped the script.

The Sox's first baseman capped a three-hit, four-RBI performance Wednesday with a two-run homer with one out in the ninth off Red Sox reliever Matt Barnes. The blast turned a 7-6 Sox deficit into an 8-7 victory and put an end to an afternoon of frustration that saw the South Siders blow the 6-3 lead they had going into the bottom of the seventh inning.

It was a long, tough trip, with two games against the Cubs, three against the Texas Rangers and three against the Red Sox. My hope was that the Sox would manage a win in each stadium, and that's exactly what they did. A 3-5 record is hardly brilliant, but given the lack of starting pitching and a taxed bullpen, cobbling together a few victories against three hard-hitting teams is good enough for now.

The worst news for the Sox? Shortstop Tim Anderson, who is in the midst of a breakout year, left Tuesday night's game in Boston (a 6-3 loss) with a high ankle sprain. Anderson's X-rays were negative, and he was scheduled for a MRI on Wednesday. When I saw the play, I feared a season-ending torn Achilles, so if it's not that, I feel lucky.

Nevertheless, Anderson is going to miss some time. How much time is unclear, but I would expect him to be placed on the injured list during Thursday's off day, before the Sox open a three-game weekend series at home against the Minnesota Twins.

Former Kansas City Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar has been playing at Triple-A Charlotte this season, and some think he'll get the call-up as a result of Anderson's misfortune.

I'm not so sure. The Sox have three players on the 25-man roster -- Leury Garcia, Jose Rondon and Yolmer Sanchez -- who have played shortstop in their careers. They also have only three starting pitchers on the roster, and no starting pitcher has been named for Friday's series opener against the Twins.

Both Ivan Nova and Lucas Giolito are receiving an extra day of rest in between starts. They will pitch Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Does that make Friday night another bullpen day? The Sox just did that Tuesday. Or will they call up another starter?

Either way, I think a pitcher replaces Anderson on the roster. It's either another starter to pitch Friday night, or it's a bullpen arm to help get through Friday's game.

Fans hoping to see either Escobar or Danny Mendick may have to wait. Even if the already-present options at shortstop aren't great, they are still better than the options among starting pitchers.

Kelvin Herrera: Quietly a bad offseason acquisition

Kelvin Herrera

Throughout the years, it feels as though the White Sox have had trouble getting much out of veterans they acquire in trades or sign as free agents during the offseason.

This year's crop of veterans is a mixed bag. Catcher James McCann looked like a poor signing at the time it was made, but McCann has surprised with an All-Star-caliber season. Alex Colome, acquired from the Seattle Mariners in a trade for catcher Omar Narvaez, has been a success. He's converted all 16 of his save opportunities entering Tuesday's play.

All that said, Yonder Alonso and Ivan Nova have been unqualified disasters. Fans are calling for Alonso to be designated for assignment, and based upon his .579 OPS as a first baseman and a designated hitter, rightfully so. People are unhappy with Nova, but they generally realize the team is stuck with him because injuries and poor performance have eroded what little starting pitching depth existed in the organization coming into the season.

The horrible play by Alonso and Nova has obscured what has been a disappointing season for right-handed reliever Kelvin Herrera, who signed a two-year, $18 million contract with the Sox as a free agent this past offseason.

Herrera was coming off a foot injury, so there was some risk in the signing. But hey, it wasn't an arm injury, and Herrera is only 29. He's got a World Series ring from the Kansas City Royals on his finger, and he was an integral part of the bullpen on some successful Royals teams.

There was no reason to believe that signing would be a disaster, but it hasn't been good. Herrera coughed up the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning Monday in a game the Sox eventually lost to Boston, 6-5. Herrera was summoned to protect a 5-4 lead and couldn't hold it.

This is the continuation of a trend we've seen since May 1. Perhaps Herrera has escaped some criticism because he had a good month of April. Sometimes, first impressions are lasting impressions. However, things have gone to hell since that point. Check out his monthly splits:

April: 0-0, 2.51 ERA in 14 games, 0.977 WHIP
May: 2-3, 17.18 ERA in 9 games, 3.136 WHIP
June: 1-0, 4.91 ERA in 9 games, 1.500 WHIP

Add it all up, and Herrera is 3-3 with a 6.83 ERA. He's allowing 11.5 hits per nine innings and has a 1.655 WHIP, which is terrible for a short reliever. Those June numbers are mediocre, I suppose, and they represent a bit of a bounce back from an atrocious May. But I don't think Herrera has earned the right to be trusted in the eighth inning, on the road, in a one-run game, against a quality lineup such as the Red Sox.

Right now, Sox manager Rick Renteria is going to have to ride right-hander Evan Marshall and left-hander Aaron Bummer in the setup roles for Colome. If one or both of those guys aren't available, the Sox need to turn to ... gulp ... Juan Minaya for the time being. He's the next best reliever on the Sox, with his 2.42 ERA and 1.299 WHIP.

Colome and Herrera both have a year of team control after this season. If you're thinking trade, somebody's going to want Colome. The Sox are likely stuck with Herrera for next season. It's unlikely has value will be recouped before the July 31 trade deadline.

White Sox activate Jon Jay, designate Odrisamer Despaigne for assignment

Jon Jay

Jonah Keri of the The Athletic released his weekly power rankings Monday. The White Sox are accurately ranked No. 23, and in his comments, Keri offered the opinion that perhaps the Sox need to move on from Ivan Nova.

"Carrying a pitcher with a 5.91 ERA, a flaccid strikeout rate and more than 1.7 homers allowed per nine innings is what you do when you’re fully tanking, not when you’re trying to win games," Keri wrote. "Whether it’s mining the farm system or going outside the organization, the Sox should try to find a better option for their rotation."

I cannot disagree, but here's the problem with that statement: There are two spots in the Sox's rotation that are even bigger question marks than the spot occupied by Nova.

The Sox cleaned out some of the trash Monday when they designated Odrisamer Despaigne for assignment. The 32-year-old right-hander made three starts for the Sox and went 0-2 with a 9.45 ERA in 13.1 innings pitched.

Despaigne allowed 31 (!) base runners in those 13.1 innings -- 24 hits and seven walks. He recorded only seven strikeouts. In his most recent outing, he was handed a 4-0 lead against the Texas Rangers and promptly gave it all back in three innings as part of a 6-5 loss.

In that game, it took Despaigne 39 pitches to get through the first inning. He threw 68 pitches for the outing and got only two swinging strikes. He doesn't have the stuff to get people out, so good riddance.

The Sox replaced him on the 25-man roster with veteran outfielder Jon Jay, who hasn't played yet this season. In 16 games on a rehab assignment, Jay went 21 for 63 (.333) with a couple of doubles and seven RBIs. That's an extraordinarily long rehab stint, and I was wondering whether the Sox were trying to trade one of Jay, Charlie Tilson or Ryan Cordell.

Instead, all three of those men are on the roster, which makes for a crowded outfield. Meanwhile, there are only three starting pitchers on the 25-man -- Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Nova.

What a strange situation. When will upper management do something, anything to fix this problem with starting pitching?

It's literally Giolito and pray for rain at this point, and there's no way Giolito can keep up the ridiculous hot streak he's been on over the past couple of months.

Despaigne clearly was not the answer, and never had a chance of being the answer. If Rick Hahn does not want to call up Dylan Cease, he better be working the phones for a trade.