White Sox's Yoan Moncada: Cleared to play Opening Day
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White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said Moncada (back) has been cleared to play in Thursday's opener against the Astros, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.
The White Sox were holding off announcing anything until Moncada got through a workout Wednesday and evidently that went off without a hitch. The third baseman had been dealing with a little lower-back stiffness. Moncada will be trying to bounce back from a dreadful 2022 campaign which saw him post just a .626 OPS.
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White Sox's Yoan Moncada: Status TBD after workout
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Moncada's (back) status for Opening Day will be determined after he goes through a workout with the White Sox on Wednesday, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.
Moncada exited Sunday's Cactus League game against the Rockies due to lower-back stiffness. He's been steadily improving since then and the feeling is that he should be ready for Opening Day, but he'll need to pass a final test Wednesday. If Moncada isn't ready, Jake Burger and/or Hanser Alberto could get a look at third base.
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White Sox's Yoan Moncada: Remains on track for opener
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White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said Monday that he expects Moncada (back) to be ready to play in Thursday's season opener versus the Astros, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports. "That's the expectation right now, yeah. We have an optional workout in Houston on a Wednesday. And hoping that he'll be there," Grifol said of Moncada. "Probably will, needs to get some treatment and do some stuff. Everything checks out, he'll be ready."
Though Moncada looks like he'll remain out of the lineup for the White Sox's final two Cactus League games Monday and Tuesday, he should get the green light for the Opening Day start at third base if he checks out fine following Wednesday's optional workout. Grifol noted that Moncada is still nursing some lower-back soreness, and even though the issue isn't expected to keep the 27-year-old from playing in the opener, he could get his first day off of the season fairly early.
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White Sox's Yoan Moncada: Exits with lower back stiffness
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Moncada exited Sunday's Cactus League game against the Rockies due to lower back stiffness.
Moncada struck out in his lone at-bat prior to being removed from Sunday's spring matchup, and he's considered day-to-day following his departure. It's unclear whether he'll be available for Chicago's final two Cactus League matchup or whether the issue will impact his availability for the team's Opening Day matchup against the Astros on Thursday.
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White Sox's Yoan Moncada: Returns to lineup
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Moncada went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and two runs scored in Friday's Cactus League game against the Athletics.
Moncada was dealing with a bruised rib that he suffered during the World Baseball Classic while playing for Cuba. He showed no ill effects in his return from the issue, as he belted a two-run homer in his first plate appearance. Moncada will be looking to rebound from a poor 2022 campaign, during which he recorded a .212/.273/.353 line across 433 plate appearances.
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White Sox's Yoan Moncada: Expected to return Friday
Rotowire
Moncada (rib) is expected to return to Cactus League action Friday, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.
Moncada suffered a bruised rib in Team Cuba's loss to Team USA in the World Baseball Classic last Sunday, but he's feeling better now after some rest and treatment. The 27-year-old should be at third base for the White Sox on Opening Day as he looks to bounce back from a highly disappointing 2022 campaign.
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White Sox's Yoan Moncada: Avoids concussion
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White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said Monday that Moncada is still dealing with a bruised rib but didn't suffer a concussion as a result of his collision during Team Cuba's loss Sunday to Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.
Though prior reports suggested Moncada came away from the collision with a head injury, Grifol affirmed a day later that the infielder was dealing with an injury only to his midsection. It's not clear when Moncada might be ready to play in a game, but at this stage, the rib injury isn't believed to be anything that will affect his Opening Day availability.
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White Sox's Yoan Moncada: Diagnosed with concussion
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Moncada was diagnosed with a concussion in addition to his bruised rib following Team Cuba's loss Sunday to Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
Moncada was hurt during a collision in the bottom of the sixth inning that forced him out of the game in the subsequent frame. While his rib injury isn't believed to be particularly serious, he'll have to be monitored by the medical staff before he's cleared to return from his concussion. The 27-year-old will have a week and a half to recover before the White Sox begin the regular season against Houston on March 30. Whether he'll be available for any remaining Cactus League games remains to be seen.
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White Sox's Yoan Moncada: Managing bruised rib
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Moncada is considered day-to-day with a bruised rib after exiting Sunday's World Baseball Classic against Team USA, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.
Moncada was involved in a collision to close out the sixth inning Sunday and was replaced defensively in the bottom of the seventh. It's unclear whether his rib issue will impact his availability for Opening Day, but a better idea of his status should come into focus based on his usage over Chicago's final few Cactus League games.
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White Sox's Yoan Moncada: Departs WBC semifinal
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Moncada exited Sunday's World Baseball Classic semifinal against Team USA following a collision in the bottom of the sixth inning, Kyle Glaser of Baseball America reports.
The exact nature of Moncada's injury isn't clear, but he was replaced defensively in the bottom of the seventh inning following his outfield collision to close out the sixth. It seems unlikely that Cuba will advance to the World Baseball Classic final due to Team USA's significant lead, but it's unclear if Moncada's injury will impact his availability for the final few games of Cactus League action.
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White Sox's Yoan Moncada: Healthy this spring
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After an injury-plagued 2022 season, Moncada is fully healthy this spring, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Moncada was limited to only 433 plate appearances in 2022 due primarily to an oblique injury, and he suggested that he tried to return from the issue too early. That could in part explain his disastrous .212/.273/.353 line, particularly after he posted a respectable .787 OPS in 2021. This spring, Moncada has gone a combined 9-for-28 between the World Baseball Classic and Cactus League action.
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White Sox's Yoan Moncada: Came back too soon from injury
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Moncada said Thursday that he probably came back too soon from an early-season oblique injury last year, Vinnie Duber of AllCHGO.com reports.
Perhaps a lingering oblique injury can at least partly explain a disastrous showing from Moncada in 2022 which saw him post just a .626 OPS with 12 home runs over 104 games. The 27-year-old said he's done "everything" differently this offseason as far as his training goes, including getting more massages. Moncada added that he hasn't been dealing with the shoulder soreness he usually experiences at the beginning of spring training. Obviously, a bounceback season from Moncada would be huge for the White Sox' 2023 outlook.
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White Sox's Yoan Moncada: Three hits in return
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Moncada (foot) went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Friday's 3-1 win over the Padres.
Moncada missed the last two games due to a bone bruise on his foot. The third baseman played the full game Friday and was effective from the No. 6 spot in the order. He put up six multi-hit efforts in 19 games in September, going 24-for-82 (.293) for the month. He's slashing just .218/.282/.364 with 12 home runs, 50 RBI, 40 runs scored and two stolen bases through 99 contests overall.
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White Sox's Yoan Moncada: Returns to lineup Friday
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Moncada (foot) is starting at third base and batting sixth Friday against the Padres, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
After missing the last two games due to a bone bruise on the top of his foot, Moncada is officially good to go again. He will return to face Yu Darvish, whom he is 1-for-9 against in his career with four strikeouts.
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White Sox's Yoan Moncada: Remains out of lineup
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Moncada (foot) is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Twins.
Moncada was held out of Wednesday's lineup with a sore foot, and he will sit out Thursday for a second straight game. Josh Harrison will man the hot corner in Moncada's place.
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White Sox's Yoan Moncada: Day off Wednesday
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Moncada isn't starting Wednesday against Minnesota.
Moncada is getting a breather after he went 2-for-7 with a solo home run, a double, a walk and a strikeout over the last two games. Josh Harrison will take over at the hot corner and bat eighth.
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White Sox's Yoan Moncada: Homers in defeat
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Moncada went 1-for-4 with a solo home run during Sunday's 4-1 loss to Detroit.
The White Sox were unable to generate much offensive production Sunday, but Moncada accounted for the team's lone run with his home run to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning. He has three extra-base hits over his last five games, and he's gone 3-for-20 with two solo home runs, a double, a walk and four strikeouts over that stretch.
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White Sox's Yoan Moncada: Connects for four hits
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Moncada went 4-for-5 with a solo home run, a double and two runs scored Thursday against the Guardians.
Moncada was one of five White Sox hitters to go yard Thursday, and he tallied his 10th long ball of the season. He's had a few big performances since returning from the injured list Sept. 6, helping him collect 13 hits across 36 at-bats with three homers, six RBI and seven runs scored. Despite some recent signs of life at the plate, Moncada is still hitting only .215/.282/.352 across 363 plate appearances on the campaign.
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White Sox's Yoan Moncada: Gets breather Sunday
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Moncada is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Athletics.
Moncada will get a breather for the first time since he returned to the lineup Tuesday following a stint on the 15-day injured list due to a hamstring strain. Josh Harrison will check in at third base in place of Moncada, who went 8-for-24 with two home runs, two walks, a double, five RBI and five runs in his first five games back in action.
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White Sox's Yoan Moncada: Huge game in rout
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Moncada went 5-for-6 with two homers, a double, three runs scored and five RBI in a 14-2 win Thursday in Oakland.
Moncada homered off JP Sears in his first two plate appearances, singled and scored in the fourth, doubled in a run in the fifth and tacked on a single in the sixth. He had recorded only five hits in his previous eight games but reached that mark in his first five trips to the plate Thursday. It was his second five-hit performance of the season and his first two-homer game since 2019. The 27-year-old came into the game with a .582 OPS and exited with a .624 mark following the excellent evening.
