White Sox: Melky Cabrera On Paternity Leave, Recall Willy Garcia

Apr 13, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago White Sox left fielder Melky Cabrera (53) scores a run beside Cleveland Indians catcher Yan Gomes (7) in the eighth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 13, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago White Sox left fielder Melky Cabrera (53) scores a run beside Cleveland Indians catcher Yan Gomes (7) in the eighth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The White Sox will place Melky Cabrera on paternity leave and likely promote Willy Garcia from Triple A. Garcia hit .423 with two home runs and six RBIs in seven games for Charlotte.

Melky Cabrera will miss the Minnesota Twins series and be placed on paternity leave. CBS Chicago reports the Sox will recall outfielder Willy Garcia from Triple-A Charlotte. Cabrera will be celebrating the birth of his daughter. There has been no official announcement from the team yet.

The White Sox acquired Garcia on waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates in January. The 24-year-old outfielder outfielder is hitting .423 with two home runs and six RBI’s in seven games for Charlotte. His strong play has obviously opened some eyes. Now, he’ll get a chance to put his talent on display for the major-league club.

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Cabrera is off to a rough start hitting just .258 in eight games. The time away could allow him a chance to refresh mentally. Hopefully he can come back and be the player he was last year. The time away from the game could end up being a good thing for him.

Cabrera is an important player because he’s really the only left-handed threat in the lineup. That was an area the team didn’t really address during the offseason. However, they do have some left-handed threats in the minors. For now, Cabrera is going to be only threat.

This allows the White Sox to get a look at someone they did not bring up through their organization. Garcia has certainly raised some eyebrows and has the attention of Chris Getz, the White Sox director of player development.

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Getz told the Chicago Sun-Times he’s athletic and has a lot of tools. He profiles well in right field with a strong arm and plays good defense. That should be evidenced by the fact he won Defensive Player of the Year for the Indianapolis Indians, the Pirates Triple-A affiliate. At one point, he was the 12th best prospect in the Pirates system. If he can work on his plate discipline and continue hitting for power, there’s no reason he can’t be another great player for this team in the future.