Tim Anderson disappeared from the lineup during the second half of Friday night's White Sox winner against the Royals, and he'll stay missing for at least the next 10 days. The Sox placed him on the injured list with a strained right groin, and called up Yermín Mercedes to take his spot on the roster.
Mercedes, whose first taste of stateside ball came in the Pecos League four years into his pro career, will wear No. 49.
Mercedes probably isn't a true Anderson replacement, as Rick Renteria isn't likely to play Mercedes at shortstop due to a lack of whimsy. In Renteria's defense, nobody can call him a buzzkill tonight, for Luis Robert is batting leadoff.
We may as well use this post as the First Pitch.
Lineups:
(Tim Anderson portrait by Carl Skanberg)
