Pregame Notes: They’re wearing Grady t-shirts

It's still more likely than not that the White Sox will set an all-time record for losses in a single season. It's really going to take something grandiose like a series victory to jolt them off that pace. But with Pedro Grifol fired and the trade deadline completed, there's a slight return to the unique brand of White Sox normalcy.

Which is to say that the general manager addressing media before the open of a season-high 10-game homestand was mostly full of injury updates, and the main update from the clubhouse is that the players ordered Grady Sizemore t-shirts for themselves to wear during batting practice. Come to think of it, I've not seen a "Play FAST today" shirt for a good while now.

"I'm proud of them and I'm happy for the support I've gotten back from them since this has all happened," Sizemore said. "It was a nice surprise, it got a laugh out of me. I like it. I had no idea. I was just walking out and I saw a couple guys with it. I didn't know what was going on."

Chris Getz said it's possible the White Sox begin interviews for their manager search as early as September, but coaches from other teams being available really is what dictates their timeline. With a litany of front office personnel present during batting practice--Josh Barfield, Jin Wong, Paul Janish, Gene Watson, Tony La Russa, etc.--Getz alluded multiple times to internal meetings ahead building out the plan for the manager search, the international scouting department, hitting infrastructure, and other various things that are awry with the franchise.

"We’re still getting organized, building our criteria we’re looking for," Getz said of the next Sox skipper. "Obviously names come in left and right to various people throughout the organization. We want to make sure we, we want to put pen to paper on what the attributes are going to be for our future manager and then we’ll go out and target those individuals."

For the team's woeful offense, Getz said they would love to find a "force multiplier, an individual that can help in an area that’s really needed in the organization could be a factor," and we've previously reported their intent to search for a Brian Bannister-like advisor for their hitting development, but the GM feels that offensive expertise can't be the only criteria for the next major league manager.

Getz was pretty open about the team's intentions to relocate their Dominican Academy from its current spot, which was once a hub of MLB academies but now has the White Sox as the sole remaining resident in the area. As far as larger changes to the international scouting department, Getz just said "we’ll continue to modernize our international process," which lines up with the industry perception that it had become out of date.

It's going to be a nervous next few weeks for anyone who bet that they had seen the last of Yoán Moncada in a White Sox uniform. Four and a half months after he was felled by an adductor strain in Cleveland, Getz said the third baseman will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte. He will be joined by Michael Soroka, who has been out since the All-Star break with a shoulder strain but successfully got through a simulated inning on Friday against teammates.

Moncada's rehab assignment has to actually go well before we seriously ponder his role upon return, but it presently seems like his return would be at odds with the current plan with Miguel Vargas. Despite an .096/.219/.167 line in 16 games with his new team, the central remedy Getz has in mind for the scuffling 24-year-old is to keep playing him, and third base is where Vargas has best distinguished himself defensively.

"He responds really well to instruction," Getz said. "Look at what he’s accomplished in his minor league career. We’ve got playing time to give him to see how he responds to that. We are here to encourage him. He’s a part of our future. We’ve got time with Miguel Vargas to develop him here up at the major league level and we are committed to that."

Drew Thorpe (flexor strain) and Jordan Leasure (shoulder impingement) are scheduled to throw sides soon, but do not have specific rehab assignment timelines yet.

Top catching prospect Edgar Quero himself thought he'd return to action from his back tightness about five days ago, but Getz said he should be activated "pretty shortly" from now. Quero is still 23 games shy of the 95 starts he had behind the plate last season, so this setback doesn't sound like quite enough to scare the White Sox off playing him through the end of September.

Getz said "he’s under consideration" for a late-season call-up. Technically, Getz said similarly of Colson Montgomery, but also made it clear there are much more visible performance reasons for not pushing the 22-year-old shortstop to the majors right now.

"We’re still looking for a little bit more consistency in the bat," Getz said of Montgomery. There have been some positive signs along the way, but most importantly we have to make sure he is foundationally in a good spot before we challenge him at the major league level."

First pitch: White Sox vs. Tigers

TV: NBCSCH

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