Zach

DeLoach

DeLoach went 3-for-22 in his brief time with the White Sox this summer. The outfielder gets another shot at the majors with rosters expanding. Yes, the White Sox count as an MLB team still.

With the return of Tommy Pham (ankle) from the injured list on Friday, the White Sox needed to clear a spot on their active roster and unfortunately for DeLoach, he was the odd-man out this time around. The 25-year-old hit just .136 (3-for-22) with a double, one RBI and a 9/3 K/BB ratio in 25 plate appearances with the big league club. He’ll return to an everyday role at the Triple-A level until he’s needed once more.

DeLoach picked up his first career hit and RBI with a sixth-inning double off Red Sox starter Tanner Houck. The 25-year-old outfielder had been 0-for-5 in three games this season in the majors. He figures to continue playing regularly for the rebuilding White Sox, who set a franchise record on Thursday evening with their 14th consecutive loss.

DeLoach is one of three new outfielders up for the White Sox on Tuesday; joining Luis Robert Jr. (hip) and Duke Ellis. DeLoach went just 0-for-5 in a very limited sample size the last time he was up, but he could be in for more playing time due to the injuries of Tommy Pham (ankle) and Dominic Fletcher (shoulder).

DeLoach was summoned earlier this week to make his big-league debut and wound up going 0-for-5 in a trio of contests. The 25-year-old figures to be back at some point this summer for an extended opportunity with the rebuilding White Sox.

He’s making his major league debut. DeLoach was batting .263/.369/.343 for Charlotte, though he was doing better than that in recent weeks. He hit .286/.387/.481 for Seattle’s Triple-A club last year, which is why the White Sox wanted him in the Gregory Santos trade this spring. The White Sox might as well give him a look in right field against righties while Eloy Jiménez is out, though Corey Julks will probably cut into his time.

It’ll be the White Sox debut for DeLoach, who likely would have been given a shot weeks ago had he been hitting better in Triple-A. Fortunately, he has picked it up some of late, coming in at .275/.367/.451 in May after collecting just two extra-base hits in April.

Montgomery is the future at shortstop for the White Sox and is a huge on-base percentage asset with a .410 OBP with 123 walks through 186 minor league games. He’s currently the 9th-ranked prospect in MLB Pipeline and could be up in Chicago by the summer.

DeLoach figures to battle Dominic Fletcher and Oscar Colás to become the White Sox’s right fielder against righties, but he definitely seemed like a better bet in the few minutes before the Fletcher acquisition came to light. DeLoach hit .286/.387/.481 in Triple-A last year, but that came with a whopping 173 strikeouts in 623 plate appearances. He’s going to struggle to hit for average in the majors and he’s also not much of a basestealer, so he’s not a great fantasy sleeper.

Passan adds that the White Sox will also receive the 69th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft in the deal. It’s not quite an offseason blockbuster, but it’s a noteworthy trade from a fantasy perspective as Santos was expected to be in the mix to close for the White Sox. The 24-year-old righty is expected to be ready for the outset of spring training after missing the closing stages of last year due to elbow inflammation.