Chicago White Sox: 3 players to cut when Adam Engel returns

The Chicago White Sox outfield has been decimated by injuries this season. Eloy Jimenez went down in spring training and is expected to be out until September. Then Luis Robert suffered a torn hip flexor which will knock him out three to four months.

The Chicago White Sox are going to be a better team when Adam Engel returns.

The White Sox outfield is about to get a major boost. It was announced this week that reinforcements are on the horizon in the form of Adam Engel. Engel, who has been on the shelf since spring training, will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte Tuesday.

Adam Engel provides the Chicago White Sox with elite defense in centerfield. His high-flying acrobatics in the outfield has robbed numerous opponents of home runs. In 2018 alone, he robbed three home runs in the span of five days, saving pitchers a combined seven runs. In 2018 he was named MLB Defensive Player of the Month for August by Sports Info Solutions and was a runner-up for the Gold Glove Award.

The White Sox will also be getting a major upgrade in the lineup. Engel has improved each season offensively. Last year he hit .348 at home and .435 against right-handed pitching. In the postseason, he went 3-12 with a double, one homer, one RBI, and a run scored in three games of the AL Wild Card Series at Oakland.

Engel’s eventual arrival means someone on the current roster will need to be sent down to make room for him. To this point, Tony La Russa has utilized an outfield by committee approach. Andrew Vaughn has seen the majority of the playing time in leftfield. Leury Garcia has seen the majority of the time in centerfield. Outside of them, someone is more than likely going to be let go for Engel. These are the three options: