Spring training has already been filled with highs and lows for the Chicago White Sox, and they’ve only played five games.
Colson Montgomery has been one of the few bright spots for the Sox in their rough preseason start. His two-run homer in the first Sox spring training game against the Cubs lived up to the hype he has received as a top prospect in the organization. But that hope and excitement came crashing down days later.
Before the Feb. 27 spring training game against the Guardians, Montgomery was scratched from the lineup with back spasms. Manager Will Venable reported that Montgomery will miss the next couple of days to rest and not aggravate the injury after the team’s first win. Per Sox beat writer Scott Merkin, Venable said, "We want to be sensitive to the back and any injury, and we'll give him the time he needs to get back and healthy." He is listed as day-to-day after turning 23 yesterday.
White Sox top prospect Colson Montgomery injury history
This isn’t the first time Montgomery has dealt with back injuries. He missed nearly half of the 2023 season with a back injury that developed at the end of spring training that year. Though he came back healthy in 2024, the last thing Sox fans want to hear is that their No. 4 ranked prospect is injured when there’s not much else to be excited about at this stage in Chicago’s season.
Although his injury isn’t as serious as Andrew Benintendi’s, a sidelined Montgomery doesn’t boost morale. The Sox have been outscored 41-32 in their spring training games and have collected more strikeouts than hits. Their defense hasn’t been sharp, either. Six errors in six games is not a good look. The Sox need to clean their act up fast, and they can’t rely on Montgomery coming back soon to get it together.
With Benintendi expected to miss all of spring training and Montgomery’s early injury, Venable is admirably keeping his head up. But if Montgomery’s injury persists longer than it should or the Sox get hit with something worse, it will be hard for the Sox to stay upbeat this spring.