The Chicago White Sox played two spring training games yesterday against the Milwaukee Brewers. Projected starting shortstop, rookie Colson Montgomery, was not on either lineup card.
Montgomery has missed the past couple spring training games with back spasms. The thought was some rest along with Tuesday's off day would give him enough time to heal up and resume game action.
Instead, he sat.
Manager Will Venable did not have much of an update on when one of the team's top positional prospects will be back on the field.
Not much of an update on Colson Montgomery today as he continues to work back from minor injury.
— Elijah Evans (@ElijahEv8) March 5, 2025
"Doing better, still day-to-day...he continues to make progress," said Venable.
Venable might be new to the job, but he is going to have to learn there is a lot of skepticism that comes from a White Sox official giving an injury update.
The Sox have had a long history of downplaying injuries that scream problematic.
The concern is another back problem for such young player means his body cannot handle playing shortstop.
There is already a belief that he will not be able to cut it defensively as a shortstop in the big leagues. Add in that he already had a back problem in 2023 and there is a growing call to move him away from a position that requires a lot of bending and stretching.
However, there is one silver lining with this injury. It could slow down the urge to have him starting Opening Day. There are those that feel Montgomery is being rushed to the majors despite hitting .214 at Triple-A last season. If this injury drags on through spring training, it might force Montgomery to start the season at Charlotte.
The only positive way to spin this is that this decreases the chances of the Sox prematurely making him the Opening Day shortstop. I've been against this idea because he's yet to offer any proof that he's a plus player at AAA, so a ramp-up period to start the season makes sense. https://t.co/06Ejavnjzt
— Patrick Nolan (@SoxMach_pnoles) March 5, 2025
That is where he should start. He had a strong September, played well in the Arizona Fall League, and reportedly worked in the offseason. That is not evidence to think he is ready for the show.
Yes, the Sox could use his power--he hit 18 homers at Charlotte--but they also need him to thrive as he has the talent to be a core piece.
This should not be another Gordon Beckham situation. Remember him? He was the can't miss prospect that the franchise advanced to the big-league roster too quickly all those years ago and it caused irretrievable harm.
While Montgomery has the most upside of all the shortstops in camp, he is also at a fragile point of his development. A bad back can also further hinder his growth.