With some major league scuffling and minor league corrections and improvements to draw from, Oscar Colas has returned.
The White Sox recalled the 24-year-old Cuban outfielder from Triple-A Charlotte Tuesday and inserted him in right field and the No. 6 spot in the lineup. At 12 games below .500, the Sox need a new, improved version of the left-handed hitting Colas. Anything to inject some mojo into an underwhelming team.
Colas had seven homers in his last seven games for the Knights.
“Oscar has incredible ability, he can help us turn this thing around,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “He has that type of talent.”
Clint Frazier was optioned to Charlotte to make room for Colas, 24, who made his debut on Opening Day but was sent down to Charlotte after a slow start. He returns after batting .293/.358/.508 with nine homers, 14 doubles, 29 RBI and 35 runs scored in two months time.
“They sent me down for a reason and I think now it was the right decision,” Colas said through translator Billy Russo. “Things happen for a reason and I’m just glad that I’m back.”
After general manager Rick Hahn signaled in the offseason that Colas would be the Opening Day right fielder, the job was won during spring training. But Colas batted .211/.265/.276 with one homer in 25 games. He had played just seven games at Charlotte last season.
At Charlotte, Colas posted an .866 OPS in 48 games.
“Basically I just improved my pitch selection,” Colas said. “That was one of the things I struggled with most here. I made progress on that aspect of my game in the minors. And of course, also control the emotions and the anxiety. As a rookie, I think I was trying to do too much. I was battling with my anxieties. I think now, I’m in a better position.”
Colas said his struggles made him feel “overwhelmed.”
“And I just put my head down,” he said. “Now, I’m able to just sit down and think about it and analyze what happened or the situation. That helped me to get better.”
Colas found out quickly that pitchers at the big league level make fewer mistakes, “maybe one mistake per at-bat, and you have to capitalize on those mistakes. If not, you’re going to be in trouble.”
Frazier batted .197 with three RBI in 33 games after signing as a free agent on April 28, a few days before Colas was sent down.
This and that
Left-hander Garrett Crochet’s rehab assignment (shoulder soreness) was transferred from Double-A Birmingham to Charlotte. Crochet is building up for multi-inning relief work.
Yoan Moncada (back) isn’t hitting yet but he’s ramping up his activity and “progressing decent” toward a rehab assignment right after the All-Star break, general manager Rick Hahn said. “But we’ll need him to continue to progress the way he has over the last week for that to happen.”
*Liam Hendriks (elbow) isn’t rushing his return from the IL and could throw off a mound this weekend, “nd we’ll see where it goes from there,” Hahn said.
*Mike Clevinger (biceps) will throw a bullpen Saturday and if that goes well would be on target to return for the first or second turn through the rotation after the break.
