CLEVELAND -- A chance encounter in an elevator led to White Sox outfielder Tommy Pham being activated off the 10-day injured list and making an immediate impact in the series finale against the Guardians on Wednesday afternoon.
White Sox general manager Chris Getz and Pham found themselves on the same elevator late Tuesday night, shortly after a gut-wrenching 7-6 loss on Brayan Rocchio’s walk-off two-run double against closer Grant Taylor.
Though manager Will Venable said the 38-year-old Pham would not be brought off the IL until the next series against the Tigers, the timetable accelerated when he told Getz that he was “good enough to play.”
“If I didn’t see him on the elevator, I probably would have had to wait until this weekend,” Pham admitted. “But every game matters right now when you’re in a playoff race. [Cleveland] is neck and neck with us, so it’s important for us to win today.”
Pham was thrown right into the fire and made the most of his elevator pitch, hitting a go-ahead three-run homer in fifth inning for his first hit of the season.
"I told [Getz] I could play today. I said I'm ready," Pham said during an in-game interview after the homer. "I went right to the source."
Pham, who was acquired from the Phillies in exchange for cash considerations on Aug. 31, only appeared in one game with Chicago before being placed on the IL with a left calf strain on Sept. 6. He went 0-for-1 in his Chicago debut as a pinch-hitter at the Astros on Sept. 2.
Earlier in the season, Pham went hitless in 13 at-bats with the Mets before being designated for assignment. He subsequently signed with the Orioles and Phillies on Minor League contracts, but didn’t play for the big league clubs.
“If anything, these experiences this year have prepared me for this,” said Pham, who hit .238 in 69 total Minor League games for the Mets, Orioles and Phillies’ farm systems. “I’ve gone way longer between at-bats than ever before, so I’ve been preparing in the cage.”
This marks Pham’s second stint with Chicago. He batted .266 with five home runs and 19 RBIs in 70 games for the White Sox in 2024, then was dealt to the Cardinals with current teammate Erick Fedde in a three-team trade that netted the White Sox Miguel Vargas from the Dodgers.
Catcher Edgar Quero was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte in order to make room for Pham on the active roster.
“Tommy is maybe not at 100 percent, but you appreciate the edge and the passion that he has,” Venable said. “It helps a team a lot.”
Pham is in his 13th Major League season and is a career .256 hitter with 149 homers and 522 RBIs. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound outfielder has played for 10 teams.