White Sox Minor Keys: May 22, 2024

Another pillar of the White Sox's strategy of devoting international pool money to older Cubans tumbled when they released Norge Vera on Tuesday.

Vera, who signed for $1.5 million in the 2020 signing class, had spent most of his three stateside seasons inactive due to an assortment of injuries. When he did pitch, he couldn't recapture the high-90s form that made him a name in the DSL, and briefly carried over to Kannapolis for a month or so in 2022. He did surface with the ACL White Sox for an inning last week, which was either one last look to confirm what the team already knew, or a professional courtesy to show other teams that he's healthy enough to pitch.

With Vera's release, he joins Yoelqui Céspedes ($2.05 million), Yolbert Sánchez ($2.5 million) in being cut by the club over the last year, while Josimar Cousin (reportedly $100,000 with $625,000 in deferred money) was DFA'd, but stayed in the organization. Only Oscar Colás is left.

Birmingham 8, Biloxi 4 (10 innings)

• Terrell Tatum went 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout, and was caught stealing.
• Jacob Gonzalez came a triple shy of the cycle during a 3-for-5 night.
• Brooks Baldwin was 2-for-5 with a strikeout.
• Edgar Quero, 1-for-5.
• Tim Elko went 2-for-5 with a homer and two strikeouts.
• Jacob Burke was 1-for-4 with a walk, two strikeouts and a stolen base.
• Mason Adams: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 1 HR, 1 HBP

Highlights:

*Gonzalez's first homer was a no-doubter:

Winston-Salem 4, Bowling Green 1

• Eddie Park went 1-for-5 with a strikeout.
• Calvin Harris went 0-for-2 with two walks and a strikeout.
• Wes Kath singled and struck out thrice.
• Samuel Zavala was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
• Tyler Schweitzer: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 1 HR, 52 of 74 pitches for strikes.

Augusta 4, Kannapolis 3

• Rikuu Nishida went 2-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base.
• Ryan Burrowes struck out thrice during an 0-for-5 night.
• Ronny Hernandez was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
• Jake Peppers: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 7 K, 2 WP, 47 of 81 pitches for strikes.

ACL Dodgers 10, ACL White Sox 6 (7 innings)

• Luis Robert Jr. homered and struck out in his first rehab game.
• Adrian Gil went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
• Stiven Flores went 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
• Luis Reyes: 3.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

Highlights:

*For those who missed watching Robert nuke one:

Charlotte at Nashville, PPD