4 good options to replace Tim Anderson while he’s out

The Chicago White Sox have taken on plenty of injuries this season. But on Sunday they may have been dealt their biggest blow yet.

Tim Anderson needed to be helped by two trainers as he limped off the field. Anderson strained his right groin after fielding a ground ball off the bat of P.J Higgins. As he faded towards the outfield to make the throw he landed awkwardly and fell to the ground in pain. He will likely be heading to the injured list.

He now joins Garrett Crochet, Lance Lynn, Joe Kelly, Yoan Moncada, Lucas Giolito, and Eloy Jimenez on the long list of White Sox players to miss time due to injury.

But Tim Anderson’s absence feels bigger than the rest. The White Sox offense has been floundering all season. Anderson has been one of the few players in the lineup to produce consistently.

He is batting .356 with five home runs, eight stolen bases, and a .896 OPS. Anderson has proven to be the offensive catalyst for the White Sox at the top of the lineup. Since 2019, the White Sox are 124-89 in games that Anderson has been in the lineup. They are just 28-28 when he does not play.

It is going to be a struggle for the Chicago White Sox without Tim Anderson.

Those are some big shoes to fill, especially for a team that is playing so poorly. The White Sox have yet to come out and say how many games Anderson will miss from this injury. But they are going to need to find a way to weather the storm in his absence.

So what does the shortstop position look like while Anderson is gone? They have some internal options but if the injury is serious they may need to hit the trade market. Here are the four possible options that the White Sox could use to replace Tim Anderson at shortstop:

Danny Mendick

Danny Mendick is someone for the White Sox to consider in Tim Anderson’s absence.

Danny Mendick was called upon to replace Anderson on Sunday after he limped off the field. Mendick performed well, recording two hits and two runs scored en route to a 5-4 victory in extra innings.

Mendick first broke into the big leagues in 2019. He is a scrappy player that can play multiple infield positions and do a lot of the little things well. The White Sox like Mendick for his versatility and defense but his lack of offense has had him bounce from Triple-A Charlotte to Chicago like a yo-yo over the course of the past four seasons.

Mendick has been sent down to Triple-A and then recalled seven times since May 3rd, 2021, logging a total of 14 roster transactions.

Still, he is beloved in the organization for his flexible and hard-working mentality. He has been asked to play second base, third base, shortstop, left field, right field, and center field. At one point he was even asked to pitch in a blowout against the Red Sox.

In 2019 he was named a MiLB.com organizational All-Star for the White Sox. He batted .308 in 16 games for the White Sox that season. Since then his average has taken a dip every season.

In 2020 he batted .243 in 33 games but did hit a career-high three home runs. In 2021, he batted just .220 in 71 games. He has been swinging the bat better as of late. Mendick has a .259 average in 12 games with the South Siders this season.

If Anderson is only out for a month or so then Mendick will be a more than capable replacement. On the defensive end, he provides a slight upgrade over Anderson. Mendick has only made two errors in his MLB career and none of them came while he was playing short. This could be a huge opportunity for Mendick to expand his role with the team if he performs well.

With Danny Mendick you know what you are going to get. He is a solid defender that won’t hit well. The White Sox will be able to stay afloat with him for a little while but unless the rest of the lineup cleans up their act offensively, it will be hard to mask Mendick’s offensive shortcomings.

Romy Gonzalez

Romy Gonzalez could get the call-up one day to replace Tim Anderson.

Romy Gonzalez is an intriguing player the White Sox have stashed in Triple-A. He appeared in 32 games last season with the White Sox. In his first taste of major-league action, he hit .250 with a .617 OPS.

He caught many fans off guard. He started the season in Double-A Birmingham before getting promoted to Charlotte. He was hitting .370 in Triple-A Charlottle with four home runs and six doubles before getting called up to the big leagues.

This season he has struggled. He is only batting .196 and has been limited to just 16 games. Unfortunately for Gonzalez, he is dealing with injury issues of his own. On May 20th he was placed on the seven-day injured list.

This is the third time he has appeared on the injured list this season for Charlotte. Once he returns he will likely have to play a few games in Charlotte before getting called up. This places him at a huge disadvantage and may lead to a missed opportunity for him at the Major League level.

With the way the White Sox like to operate, they are not going to swing a trade unless they have to. Rick Hahn would prefer to promote from within.

If Anderson misses an extended period of time and Gonzalez can get healthy there is a good chance he sees some action at shortstop. However, calling upon a guy that was hitting .196 and returning from injury does not inspire a ton of confidence.

Elvis Andrus

The Chicago White Sox could trade for Tim Anderson’s replacement.

The trade market for quality shortstops is scarce. When you factor in rebuilding teams that are likely to do business with the White Sox things look even bleaker. If the White Sox were to swing a trade, then Elvis Andrus could be a name to consider.

Andrus is a fourteen-year veteran and two-time All-Star. While his best days are behind him he is more than capable of manning shortstop for a couple of months when Anderson is away.

He has ranked first in the range factor per game at shortstop on four different occasions. In 2009, he led the AL with a 4.51 mark. His career-high came in 2015 when he owned a range factor per game of 4.78.

He led the league in back-to-back seasons in 2017 and 2018 posting a 4.70 and 4.14 mark. Andrus has also led the AL in putouts on five separate occasions.

Andrus also brings more postseason experience to the clubhouse. He has played in the World Series twice and logged a total of 42 postseason games.

This season he is batting .233 with three home runs, nine RBIs, and three stolen bases. While those numbers do not jump off the page, it is sadly better than half of the White Sox starting lineup.

However, giving up assets in an already depleted farm system doesn’t seem like a good idea for the White Sox unless Anderson misses the majority of the season.