Chicago White Sox third baseman Yoán Moncada will miss at least three months — and maybe the entire season — with a severe leg injury sustained while running to first base on Tuesday night.
Moncada, who has been slowed by numerous injuries in recent years, suffered a strained adductor as he tried to beat out an infield grounder in the second inning of Chicago’s 7-5 win over the Guardians.
“When I was running down the line, I felt like something broke,” Moncada said through a translator on Wednesday as he stood in the hallway outside Chicago’s clubhouse.
The 28-year-old Moncada had been dealing with discomfort in the same leg for a few days leading into the game. After hitting a chopper to third, Moncada was sprinting at full speed when he collapsed nearing the bag.
He writhed in pain on the ground for several minutes before he had to be helped to his feet and assisted in getting off the field.
“It was painful for me to watch,” manager Pedro Grifol said.
Moncada said it’s the most painful injury of his career. He labored to walk back into the clubhouse after speaking with reporters.
He’s the third regular to be injured already this season for the White Sox, who are already missing outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (hip flexor) and slugger Eloy Jimenez (adductor) and off to a 2-9 start.
The timetable for Robert’s return remains unknown while Jimenez could be back as early as this weekend.
Grifol couldn’t have fathomed losing three of his top players and best hitters in the first two weeks.
“There’s just no way to think that’s going to happen or to even envision something like that to happen,” he said. “It’s not because it can’t happen, it’s just the work that they put in. We talk to them about playing hard, running the bases hard. That kind of stuff builds up your work capacity and allows you to get to full speed.
“It’s just unfortunate. It’s part of the game. These guys are big-time athletes. They’re strong. They’re physical. They run fast. It’s just one of those things. You can’t explain it.”
To take Moncada’s roster spot, the White Sox recalled outfielder Oscar Colás from Triple-A Charlotte.
Moncada was batting .282 with three doubles in 11 games this season. A back injury limited him to 92 games in 2023, and Moncada dealt with oblique, quadriceps, hamstring and foot injuries in 2022.
The White Sox signed him to a five-year, $70 million contract extension in 2020. He’ll make $24 million this season and the club holds a $25 million option for 2025.
Grifol had been encouraged by Moncada’s start and praised him for putting in extra work during the offseason.
“Personally, I think he was just scratching the surface on taking off to having a big year,” Grifol said.
Colás appeared in 75 games and batted .216 with five homers and 19 RBIs as a rookie with the White Sox last season. So far this year, he’s batting .321 with one homer and four RBIs in the minors.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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