When COVID-19 protocols forced Andrew Vaughn to be the latest White Sox outfielder on the injured list on Friday, it wasn’t enough for manager Tony La Russa to take a bench bat like Jake Lamb or Billy Hamilton and put them in the outfield anymore. He needed some reinforcements.
So a call was made to Triple-A Charlotte, and Chicago called Gavin Sheets -- the No. 9 White Sox prospect, per MLB Pipeline -- to join the club for Friday’s game against the Tigers at Guaranteed Rate Field.
When Knights manager Wes Helms called Sheets into his office to let him know that he’d be heading to the big leagues, the first thing Sheets did was call his family. Then, he called his girlfriend. Then, he got ready to make his way to Chicago -- and the Majors -- for the first time.
“He's getting a taste of it, which, if you're in the Minor Leagues -- even though it's a great situation in Charlotte -- to come up here and get a taste of what it's like when fans are excited and you're winning,” La Russa said, “[it’s] all good.”
Since being left off the White Sox’s alternate training site roster last season, Sheets has been transforming himself as a baseball player. Sheets is shifting out of his role as an infielder, making 10 appearances in the outfield this season (nine in right field, one in left) compared to 14 in his natural position at first base.
There probably isn’t a route for Sheets to become Chicago’s first baseman anytime soon with José Abreu still manning the spot, though, and considering the team didn’t see fit to keep him at the alternate training site in 2020, trying his hand in the outfield was the quickest way for Sheets to get to where he is now.
“A lot of hard work went over this last year to get ready to be in the outfield, to put myself in this position where I could do both and help this team out in any way possible at both spots,” Sheets said. “It's extremely satisfying to be here, just with the way last year went, and to be here now and helping a team that's in first place in the division right now is incredible.”
Just because this weekend is Sheets’ first experience as a big leaguer, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know what it’s like to be around the big leagues.
Sheets’ dad, Larry, spent parts of eight seasons in the Majors, and the now 25-year-old Sheets had plenty of opportunities to interact with his dad’s old teammates when he was a youngster. As he grew up, Sheets said, his dad also helped explain the intricacies of being a professional baseball player.
“My dad has been huge in terms of just talking me through things,” Sheets said. “Just on and off the field of how to handle yourself as a professional and how to play professional baseball. It's definitely been a bonus, especially to get here and kind of know how to handle yourself and know how to do the ins and outs.”
Despite getting his first Major League callup, Sheets might not see his Major League debut this weekend.
Sheets wasn’t in the starting lineup Friday, with Lamb, Leury García and Adam Eaton manning the outfield spots. La Russa also revealed that additional testing could clear Vaughn to play as early as Saturday.
No matter how his first stint in the Majors goes, however, Sheets says he’s just excited to have the chance to help keep the White Sox in first place.
“The guys here have been tremendous,” Sheets said. “They brought me in, made me feel welcome, and I'm just happy to be here and try and help out this team any way possible.”
Quick hitters
• Adam Engel’s return to Chicago may not be too far off. La Russa said on Friday that he’s heard good things about Engel’s rehab assignment in Charlotte. Engel had an off-day Thursday, but La Russa said he would get the chance to play all three outfield spots in the coming days. The White Sox will have “a better read” of Engel’s status after the weekend.
• Lance Lynn said he’d felt some tightness toward the end of his outing Thursday, but had no issues on Friday, according to La Russa. Lynn should be good to go for his next start, likely to come on Wednesday against the Blue Jays.
“He should take his ball at the regular time,” La Russa said.