White Sox’s stars return from IL; supporting cast changes

The White Sox made a slew of roster moves this morning as they get set to open a three-game series with the Angels at home, which precedes a 11-game, 10-day road trip through Dallas, Detroit and Cleveland. Some moves were expected and are celebrated, but the White Sox also made a couple of swaps that weren't necessarily in the plans.

The overview:

• Reinstated Lucas Giolito from the 10-day injured list;
• Reinstated Tim Anderson from the 10-day injured list;
• Recalled Zack Collins from Charlotte;
• Placed Andrew Vaughn on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to Sept. 10) with lower back inflammation;
• Optioned Seby Zavala to Charlotte;
• Optioned Danny Mendick to Charlotte

Lucas Giolito and Tim Anderson are the pleasant non-surprises, as Tony La Russa foreshadowed the return of both for this series. Anderson sounds like he'll require careful management for his case of Vague Leg ....

... but on the plus side, that could create more opportunities for Leury García to continue imitating an All-Star shortstop.

Giolito sounded optimistic about his hamstring being a minor inconvenience at the time he tweaked it, and his return jibes with that prognosis. It wouldn't be surprising to see him limited to five innings and 70ish pitches the way Carlos Rodón and Lance Lynn have operated. What we're left to learn is whether Giolito would be capable of returning to normal workloads after being reintroduced to the rotation, or whether his leg would have to be maintained and monitored like Rodón's shoulder and Lynn's knee.

Then it gets a little murkier.

Andrew Vaughn's leg issues are no longer unclear, and the fact that his lower back is the body part in question makes his strict unavailability over the last few days all the more understandable. It also might explain his lack of multi-hit games since Aug. 18.

However, the specification of a back injury now has me remembering this diving catch on last Wednesday, the second-to-last game he appeared in.

Zack Collins is back, which isn't surprising in and of itself. The White Sox probably planned on recalling Collins within 20 days so he didn't lose his last option year. What's surprising is that he's a direct replacement for Seby Zavala, rather than a third catcher.

I've made the argument that Collins is a better second catcher on a postseason roster than Zavala because neither would be expected to catch, and Collins is a better bet for not making an out off the bench. For the rest of the regular season, the best thing about this move is that it's an endorsement for the stability of Yasmani Grandal's knee.

And then there's Danny Mendick, who was last seen striking out with runners on the corners in the 10th inning of the White Sox's loss to Boston on Saturday, pinch-hitting because of Vaughn's injury. With Anderson back, there's less of a need for Mendick on an emergency basis, and with a line of .220/.303/.287 this year, there's no real argument for his bat in any situation.

Mendick's optioning is a small vote of confidence for Romy Gonzalez, who is 3-for-16 with a double and eight strikeouts during his first exposure to MLB pitching. If he's getting the preference for last-man-on-the-bench work in September, it stands to reason that he might also be ahead of Mendick when it comes to the White Sox's 2022 utility options.

Though the White Sox made six moves, they didn't resolve all the questions. With Vaughn on the injured list and Adam Engel not yet finished with a rehab stint that has been a little bit uneven due to scheduling, there's a question of whether the White Sox will have one of their two right-handed candidates for right field before the end of the season. That could be another reason why Gonzalez is still on this roster, even though García would be freed up for that kind of work as well.

UPDATE: The White Sox added Ryan Tepera to the injured list in a separate move hours later, recalling Jace Fry from Charlotte to take his place.

(Photo by Jordan Johnson/USA TODAY Sports)