While one Montgomery on the White Sox made his major-league debut Tuesday, the other had the day off even though the team was off Monday.
Shortstop Colson Montgomery wasn’t in the lineup against the Braves at Rate Field because of a tight back. Luisangel Acuna, who has a team-low .451 OPS, started in his place but left in the seventh inning with a tight left hamstring.
“We’re gonna give him a day,” general manager Chris Getz said. “We just felt like he needed another day. We’ll see where he’s at tomorrow.”
Getz attributed Montgomery’s soreness to the grind of the season, but he battled back issues last season, too. He was sidelined by back spasms in spring training, and he missed time during the minor-league season with a back problem.
“He’s a guy that’s just been so productive for us at a demanding position,” Getz said. “So to find opportunities when we feel like we can give him a recovery day, we’re gonna do that.”
But it’s a big bat out of a lineup that already is missing first baseman Munetaka Murakami and his team-high 20 home runs. Montgomery is second with 16. He had a good series over the weekend against the Phillies, going 3-for-11 with a double and a homer. Maybe rookie Braden Montgomery can pick up the slack if Colson needs more time off, because Acuna probably won’t. Entering Tuesday, he has yet to homer, and though he leads the team with 11 stolen bases, he’s getting on base at only a .242 clip, also a team low.
Rotation is in flux
Expect to see a lot of “TBA” on this homestand in place of the names of Sox pitchers.
“We’re still sorting through some of these starters on when they’re gonna start,” Getz said. “It’s probably gonna be that way for the next week or so.”
The Sox are adjusting their rotation to give some pitchers more rest, taking advantage of days off last Thursday and Monday and another one next Monday. Right-hander Davis Martin was in line to start Tuesday, but the Sox went with lefty Brandon Eisert as an opener before turning to righty Erick Fedde.
Eisert didn’t get through the first inning, allowing a two-run homer to Matt Olson, who also hit a solo homer off Fedde in the third.
“We have these off days, and you have the ability to get things lined up to maximize the recovery for guys,” manager Will Venable said. “And Davis, as much as he’s been pitching, we thought the opportunity to give him extra time, make sure that he is recovered well and at his best, was really important.”
Getz said the Sox could call up a pitcher or have a bullpen game on this homestand, depending on how everyone is feeling.
Injury updates
Catcher Kyle Teel’s recovery from a strained hamstring lingers on. Getz was hopeful the Sox could send him on a rehab assignment sooner rather than later.
“He feels really good,” Getz said. “They’re continuing to expose him to different on-field activities, whether it be on the defensive side, squatting, making cuts on the basepath. Obviously, the offensive side, as well. It’s trending in the right direction.”
Murakami continues his recovery from a strained hamstring. Getz said he expects the slugger’s return to remain in the window of four to six weeks.
The Sox moved outfielder Austin Hays to the 60-day injured list. Getz said the team is trying to pinpoint the problem behind Hays’ strained left calf.
Costas in CHSN booth
Bob Costas, the 2018 recipient of the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award, joined analyst Steve Stone in the Chicago Sports Network booth for a 1980s-themed throwback broadcast, replete with graphics from the era and discussion of ’80s baseball, including the 1983 American League West champion Sox. Costas was a regular voice of NBC’s baseball coverage during the decade.