Cross off one of the Chicago White Sox's top prospects as an option to be the team's Opening Day starter at shortstop.
The club announced that Colson Montgomery is being optioned to Triple-A and thus has lost a position battle that seemed skewed in his favor.
However, a minor back injury caused him to miss precious time in camp. He also hit just .111 with a .555 OPS with a home run in the limited at bats he got.
This is the right move.
He hit .214 last at year at Triple-A and it caused some concern that he was trending toward being a bust. However, he did belt 18 home runs and his OPS was a decent .710.
Montgomery had a strong finish to the season with a .264/.357/.458 slash line in September, which included four home runs.
The Sox No. 4 prospect also had a strong Arizona Fall League, so the hope was he was trending in the right direction.
However, his back flared up in camp and it caused him to fall behind. He also had a back injury in 2023 that caused him to miss time, and there is some concern the No. 39 prospect in all of baseball according to MLB Pipeline might have to switch positions.
The scouting report already thinks he is better suited to play third base.
Sending him back to Triple-A for a month or two cannot hurt his development. Plus, it takes off the pressure of needing to make an immediate impact off his plate. He can go back to the Knights and prove his strong September was no mirage. Then he can come up in a more relaxed situation.
Although this leaves the White Sox lacking a shortstop with a high ceiling.
Montgomery's potential has been compared to Corey Seager. No one else in camp can come close to that.
Instead, the White Sox will have to roll with Jacob Amaya, a player the team already designated for assignment in the offseason. He possesses a strong glove but not much at the plate.
Lenyn Sosa has earned a roster spot by showing his hot September last season is not over as he continues to rake in spring training. However, his defense is atrocious.
Prospect Chase Meidroth could also still make a case, but he is battling cramping problems, and his spring training average is barely better than Colson's.
The other option is veteran Josh Rojas can cover short, but he is better suited to play second or third base.
The good thing for the White Sox this is season is they are not going anywhere so they can afford to be patient with Colson.