White Sox: Jake Burger injures left Achilles in spring training action
White Sox third base prospect goes down with left Achilles injury in spring training game against Oakland on Monday.
Chicago White Sox 2017 first-round draft pick Jake Burger left Monday’s spring training game against the Oakland Athletics with an injury to his left Achilles tendon. The 21-year-old was carted off the field after he suffered the injury while running to first base.
Burger was off to a nice start this spring as he was hitting .286 for the White Sox. The third base prospect was a non-roster invitee to spring training this year and was expected to start this season in Single-A. This latest injury is unfortunate news for a lifelong White Sox fan in Burger as he is looking to become the team’s third baseman of the future.
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White Sox fans may remember an unfortunate injury happening to an outfield prospect in 2010. Jared Mitchell, the White Sox 2009 first-round draft pick, suffered an injury to his ankle in spring training in 2010. He was unable to live up to his potential after that injury and would be later released by the Sox in 2015.
The White Sox haven’t announced the severity of Burger’s injury at the moment, but an update is expected on Tuesday. Surgery is highly likely for Burger and it could mean him missing this entire season. This is a critical year in Burger’s development as he would be playing the first full season of his professional career.
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With the White Sox being patient in promoting prospects, Burger isn’t going to be rushed to the majors anytime soon. However, if he misses this entire season, his development will stall and his promotion to the majors in the future could be delayed. The possibility of Burger missing this season also puts the focus on the Sox to perhaps draft another third baseman in the first few rounds of the upcoming draft, or focus on signing an elite third baseman next offseason.