Southside Showdown
Fansided

White Sox: Bring up Kevan Smith and Juan Minaya for doubleheader

By Kristen Bentley

CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 30: Kevan Smith #36 and Juan Minaya #37 of the Chicago White Sox celebrate a 2-1 win over the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field on September 30, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Ron Schwane/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 30: Kevan Smith #36 and Juan Minaya #37 of the Chicago White Sox celebrate a 2-1 win over the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field on September 30, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Ron Schwane/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The White Sox will face the Minnesota Twins in a doubleheader in Minneapolis. The first game starts at 3:10, with the second to follow immediately.

The first White Sox vs. Twins game will be the makeup game from Jackie Robinson Day on April 15. So, all of the players will don #42. Game two will be the makeup from April 13.

And, for these two games, the front office called up two Triple-A players, catcher Kevan Smith and right-handed pitcher Juan Minaya.

Neither are new faces to Sox fans, but Smith hasn’t played in the MLB yet this year. He had a successful 2017, playing in 87 games and hitting .283/.309/.388 with four home runs and 30 RBIs.

Minaya pitched 3.1 innings so far in 2018, but he did not do well. His MLB ERA is 10.80. He gave up three hits and four runs in his brief time with the Sox. He did strike out five batters, but he walked nine. Hopefully, this outing is better for the 27-year-old reliever from the Dominican Republic.

More from White Sox News

With Welington Castillo‘s lengthy suspension, the Sox are in need of a second catcher to platoon with Omar Narvaez. Over the weekend, the Sox let Alfredo Gonzalez get his feet wet in the Bigs. At 6’1 and 225 pounds, Gonzalez looked the part, but his bat was quiet. He recorded only one hit, which happened to be an RBI, in nine at-bats against Detroit, Cleveland, and Milwaukee.

So, instead of continuing the experiment with Gonzalez, Smith got the call-up for the games. At 6’4, 220 pounds, Smith is an imposing presence behind the dish and at the plate. He has had success at the Big-League level but has been successful offensively. But, in 2017, he ranked second in stolen bases allowed, which is one of the reasons why he has spent most of his time in Triple-A in 2018.

The White Sox had big hopes for Castillo, which is why the team signed him to a two-year deal with a possible third-year extension. His mistake put a damper on what could have quietly been a top catching platoon in 2018. Despite Smith’s flaws throwing out baserunners, he does have a bat that finds the ball.

Next: Welcome to the Sox, Nick Madrigal

In Triple-A Charlotte, Smith was hitting .268/.331/.411. Narvaez is hitting .179/.281/.238. And, Castillo was hitting .267/.309/.466. Hopefully, Smith will be an equal-or-better replacement for Castillo.

Home/White Sox News