TAMPA, Fla. — Baseball was the furthest thing from White Sox outfielder Mike Tauchman’s mind during the All-Star break.
He spent much of it in the waiting room at Lurie Children’s Hospital with his wife, Eileen, while their 9-month-old daughter, Remi, had surgery to treat the cleft palate that had required her to use a feeding tube early in her young life.
‘‘She’s doing well, but recovery’s tough,’’ Tauchman, a native of Palatine, said before the Sox’ 8-3 victory in their series opener Monday against the Rays. ‘‘They learn a whole new skill set, and then they go to sleep with their body one way and wake up in a different way, so it’s a lot. It’s hard.’’
Tauchman’s daughter and family are always top of mind, but he can’t get away from the lingering business of baseball, especially now that a torrid month at the plate has put his name in the Sox’ dealmaking rumor mill with the July 31 trade deadline approaching.
‘‘I’ve been a lot of places,’’ he said. ‘‘I wouldn’t lie and be like, ‘I haven’t even thought of it,’ because I know that it’s right around the corner. But we’re just kind of trying to focus on the day-to-day here and enjoy what we have and not get focused on what might happen.’’
Tauchman entered play Monday hitting .333 with a home run and 11 RBI in the last month. He is among the Sox’ offensive leaders despite two stints on the injured list, and his .824 OPS for the season makes him an attractive deadline rental to contenders seeking a reliable left-handed bat.
But Tauchman’s real value to the rebuilding Sox comes in the veteran leadership he brings to a young clubhouse. Team sources say the Sox would need an attractive prospect return to part ways with the 34-year-old.
‘‘He helps me out a lot in the outfield, [with me] being fairly new out there in the big leagues,’’ utility player Brooks Baldwin said of Tauchman. ‘‘Just certain situations — what to do and how to approach a play, what to look out for from righties. Just hearing what he’s seen in the past and what’s helped him, that’s really valuable.’’
Tauchman was able to share his veteran wisdom while he was on the IL with hamstring injuries, but ‘‘when you’re performing well, it gives you more credibility,’’ manager Will Venable said. He was among the veterans who spoke up during a team meeting to hammer home the Sox’ focus on being more aggressive after the break.
‘‘I don’t think he needs more credibility to be vocal with our group,’’ Venable said. ‘‘He’s got experience, he says the right things, does the right things, works the right way. But certainly as he’s performed well this year, it gives him some more to stand on. Guys listen when he talks.’’
It has been a journey for Tauchman, who was drafted by the Rockies and found his most success with the Yankees. He played a season in South Korea in 2022, then played two seasons for the Cubs before signing his one-year deal with the Sox last fall, so he doesn’t take for granted the rare privilege of playing near his hometown.
‘‘Being able to sleep in my own bed every night, it’s been special,’’ he said. ‘‘And now that we have our daughter, just having that support system around us helps a lot.’’
For National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month, Tauchman and his family are aiming to raise $18,000 to support families with children in need of cleft-palate treatment. Fans who match his jersey number with a donation of $18 or more will be entered into a drawing for an on-field batting-practice experience with the Sox.
Visit luriechildrens.org/18forcleft for more information.