White Sox place Luis Robert on IL, sign Brian Goodwin

In case you passed out due to anger, rage and sadness and hope the last 24 hours were a terrible nightmare, the White Sox indeed placed Luis Robert on the injured list due to the tear of his right hip flexor. He's expected to be out three to four months, and the White Sox recalled Danny Mendick from Triple-A Charlotte to take his spot on the roster for now.

(Bittersweet note: It's nice to see Charlotte instead of Schaumburg. Welcome back, Minor League Baseball!)

Mendick's presence is likely temporary, because Mark Feinsand of MLB.com says more permanent outfield help is on the way in the form of Brian Goodwin, which White Sox beat writers have confirmed.

Over the years, I've tossed around Goodwin's name as a potential White Sox signing due to three factors:

1. Left-handed hitter
2. Outfielder who isn't Palka/Eloy Bad, and can even stand in center
3. The White Sox drafted him in 2009

The White Sox drafted him in the 17th round out of Rocky Mount High School in North Carolina, but with Scott Boras as his adviser, he went the college route, and parlayed a standout career at UNC into a first-round pick.

Another reason I've mentioned him plenty: He's been available plenty. The White Sox will be his fifth organization over six years. He broke in with the Nationals, after which he's bounced to the Royals, Angels and Reds. He did his best work in Anaheim, hitting .258/.327/.469 over 166 games the previous two seasons.

Unfortunately for Goodwin, even his good year underscores his issue finding a home -- he's a jack of all trades, but a master of none. He can hit a little, but he's not strong against pitchers of either hand. He can run a little, but not enough to qualify as a threat. You've seen worse defenders in the outfield, but none of the metrics love him.

And he's available now because he opted out of a minor-league deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday. He had to settle for such a deal after hitting .215/.299/.417 with a 33 percent strikeout rate over 20 games with the Reds, who acquired him from the Angels at the 2020 trade deadline.

If he was a victim of short-season weirdness and can be expected to return to his career form at age 30, Goodwin's a 2 WAR starter along the lines of a Yolmer Sánchez or a Juan Pierre. He's not an impact player, but he's perfectly cromulent if you need somebody. And with Robert, Eloy Jiménez and Adam Engel injured, Adam Eaton slumping, Leury García struggling and Billy Hamilton looking like Billy Hamilton, boy howdy do the White Sox ever need somebody.

In the interim, García will get the start in center in Cincinnati this evening.

(Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)