Acquiring a reliever or left-handed hitter by the 5 p.m. deadline Tuesday likely will put a small dent in the White Sox’ farm system, but they breathed a collective sigh of relief late Friday night.
Outfielder Oscar Colas, the organization’s sixth-best prospect, according to Baseball America, tested negative for a concussion after getting hit by a pitch playing for Double-A Birmingham.
Colas was struck in the neck on a pitch from Tennessee left-hander DJ Herz, one of the top pitchers in the Cubs’ organization. He was removed for precautionary reasons and was to be re-evaluated Saturday.
The left-handed-hitting Colas, 23, is batting a combined .323 with 12 home runs and 53 RBI at High-A Winston-Salem and Birmingham.
Colas has a 1.307 OPS with five homers and a .395 batting average in 10 games at Birmingham. Colas, a native of Cuba, signed for a $2.7 million bonus last January.
Max appreciation for Minnie
The National Baseball Hall of Fame displayed the plaque of recent inductee Minnie Miñoso in pregame ceremonies, and Sharon Rice-Miñoso expressed her appreciation for the support given to her late husband last weekend in Cooperstown, New York.
“It was amazing,” Rice-Miñoso said. “Everything was beautifully put together and organized, and the other people there, the players and their families, were so complimentary toward Minnie. That warmed my heart. That’s what I really enjoyed hearing — people talking about how Minnie deserved it.
“I think part of me missed him a lot, hearing him. I practiced to him, sitting at the Otesaga [Hotel], reading out loud on the lake, hoping we could do justice to his legacy. I hope I did.”
Jose Abreu and Yoan Moncada exchanged greetings with members of the Miñoso family. Miñoso was the first Afro-Latino in the majors and the first Black player to play for the Sox. He played in 13 All-Star Games.
Minor progress for Bummer
Lefty reliever Aaron Bummer, who hasn’t pitched since June 7 because of a pulled lat muscle, is making progress, manager Tony La Russa said.
“He’s throwing a little firmer, a little more distance,” La Russa said. “So far, all the steps are in a positive direction.’’
The biggest test will come when Bummer throws off a mound, making a return by September seem realistic.
La Russa declined to put a timetable on a return for reliever Reynaldo Lopez because of the delicacy of his back.
“You have to be careful when you anticipate,” La Russa said. “It wasn’t something that happened as part of his baseball stuff. It’s something minor.”
