The White Sox officially wrote off the 2019 season for three players due to elbow injuries on Monday, and Micker Adolfo's was one of them. Rick Hahn declared the end to the outfielder's season, as Adolfo will undergo a debridement in the same elbow that previously underwent Tommy John surgery. Doctors may also reposition a nerve in his forearm while they're at it.
Adolfo wasn't able to play the outfield for a second straight season, and this one was less productive than his 2018 in Winston-Salem. Adolfo hit .205/.337/.295 over 23 games for the Barons, with no homers, seven doubles, and 36 strikeouts over 95 plate appearances.
The only good news is that Hahn said Adolfo will get a fourth option year because of the missed time, which relieves pressure from what would have been more of a make-or-break year regarding an MLB future. He's going to need all the reps he can get.
I'll have a post about all the elbow injuries later this morning. In the meantime, you can enjoy a few firsts from White Sox prospects:
*Luis Robert left the yard for his first Double-A homer:
*Steele Walker, Robert's replacement in Winston-Salem, hit his first homer at the level.
*Blake Battenfield picked up the win in his first Double-A start, throwing five innings of one-run ball as the Barons swept Tennessee.
*Konnor Pilkington ... OK, his first start with Winston-Salem was one to forget. See below.
Birmingham 6, Tennessee 1 (Game 1, 7 innings)
- Luis Robert launched his first homer, making his 1-for-4 with a strikeout count.
- Luis Basabe singled twice and struck out twice. He also stole a base.
- Luis Gonzalez went 1-for-2 with a walk.
- Ti'Quan Forbes went 1-for-3 with his second homer.
- Blake Rutherford was 0-for-2 with a walk.
- Laz Rivera went 1-for-3, and was caught stealing.
- Kyle Kubat needed three starts to give up his first run: 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
Birmingham 4, Tennessee 1 (Game 2, 7 innings)
- Luis Basabe went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.
- Laz Rivera was 2-for-4 with a strikeout.
- Luis Gonzalez, 1-for-4.
- Ti'Quan Forbes went 0-for-2 with a walk.
- Gavin Sheets extended his hitting streak to eight games by going 1-for-2 with a walk. He was caught stealing.
- Blake Rutherford was 1-for-3 with a homer.
- Blake Battenfield's Double-A debut: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 2 WP
More:
*Rutherford got on top of a pitch for his blast:
Myrtle Beach 11, Winston-Salem 1
- Nick Madrigal snapped his hitless streak with a 1-for-4 night, although he struck out once.
- Steele Walker went 1-for-3 with his first High-A homer and a walk.
- Carlos Perez was 0-for-3 with a walk.
- Konnor Pilkington: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 5 K. He had a rough first, and then hit a wall in the fourth.
Kannapolis 6, West Virginia 2
- Lenyn Sosa went 1-for-5 with two strikeouts.
- Romy Gonzalez was 0-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts.
- Bryce Bush singled and walked before departing.
- Luis Curbelo hit a grand slam, a sac fly and struck out twice.
- Amado Nunez homered, walked twice and struck out.
- Jhoandro Alfaro went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
- Kade McClure: 6.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, 1 HR
