In 2011 graduated from Farragut High School in Knoxville, TN...played on 4 state championship teams and as a junior in 2010 hit a walkoff HR in the title game...played 3 years for Team USA (2008-2010) and won a pair of gold medals (2008, 2009)...became the first player in Team USA history to wear on his jersey a "C" for captain...before he was drafted by the Orioles had committed to the University of Georgia...his brother, Tony, was a catcher in the Dodgers organization...his brother, Joey, was a catcher at the University of Georgia...his father, Rod, was the head baseball coach at the University of Tennessee for 18 seasons (1990-2007) and managed Team Netherlands in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
2020
Was the White Sox' Opening Day starting right fielder...Made all six of his apps, including four starts in RF and two starts in LF, from 7/24-8/2 before he was optioned to the alternate training site at Schaumburg...Was on the White Sox' roster again from 8/20-8/21 but did not play...On 8/28, following the acquisition of OF Jarrod Dyson from the Pirates, was designated for assignment...Four days later was outrighted off the roster and assigned again to the alternate training site...spent the rest of the season there...Following the season became a minor league free agent...On 2/3/21 was signed by the Reds to a minor league contract and was invited to 2021 Major League spring training camp.
2019
Split the season with the White Sox and Class AAA Charlotte before undergoing season-ending surgery in May and being released in June...Began the season with Charlotte…recalled on 4/22, replacing Eloy Jiménez (bereavement list) on the active roster…made his season debut that night as the starting left fielder at Baltimore...Recorded his first RBI and extra-base hit as a pinch hitter on 4/26 vs. Detroit...Hit his second career game-ending home run on 5/2 vs. Boston, a three-run shot off Ryan Brasier in the ninth inning…it marked the first walkoff homer vs. the Red Sox in the history of Guaranteed Rate Field...Was optioned to the Knights on 5/22 and did not appear in a game before electing to undergo season-ending surgery to repair the labrum in his left shoulder on 5/30 in Chicago...Was released by the White Sox on 6/10.
2018
Appeared in 88 games in his second season with the White Sox … missed nearly two months with a fractured right hand ... Made his first career Opening Day roster and was the left fielder in the opener on 3/29 at Kansas City (2 BB and HBP) ... Hit his first home run of the season on 4/9 vs. Tampa Bay, a two-run shot off Chris Archer … matched his career high with three RBI on 4/18 at Oakland … recorded his first career pinch hit and pinch RBI on 4/28-2 at Kansas City ... Left the game on 5/18 vs. Texas after being hit on the right hand by a Matt Moore pitch … was placed on the 10-day disabled list on 5/19 with a fractured third metacarpal on his right hand ... Appeared in 10 rehab games between Class AA Birmingham and Class AAA Charlotte before being returned from his assignment and reinstated from the disabled list on 7/20 ... Hit safely in five straight games from 7/21-28, including home runs on 7/26 at Los Angeles-AL and 7/28 vs. Toronto ... Recorded an eight-game hitting streak from 8/13-22, going 9-30 (.300) with four homers, eight RBI and a 1.182 OPS ... Homered four times in six games from 8/17-22, including back-to-back contests from 8/17-18 and 8/21-22 … scored a run in a career-high eight straight games from 8/13-22 ... Went 2-4 with a career-high five RBI on 8/17 vs. Kansas City ... Missed six games from 9/18-23 with neck stiffness.
2017
Appeared in 43 games with the White Sox after his contract was purchased from Class AAA Charlotte on 8/1 … made 25 starts in left field, three at first base and 11 at designated hitter...His .373 on-base percentage and .482 slugging percentage would have ranked second and third on the team with the required plate appearances ...Reached base safely multiple times in 20 of his 43 games …batted cleanup 22 times and fifth 10 times...Beat the Streak: Reached base safely in a franchise-record 13 consecutive games to begin his career (8/1-16) … went 19-48 (.396) with two doubles, three home runs, eight RBI, five walks and a 1.088 OPS during the streak … the career-opening streak was the longest in the major leagues since Colorado's David Dahl reached in 17 straight from 7/25-8/11/16...His 19 hits tied Greg Mulleavy (1930) for the second-most hits in his first 13 career games in Sox history, trailing Craig Wilson (22 in 1998)...Made his major-league debut on 8/1 vs. Toronto as the starting left fielder, going 1-4 with a run scored … recorded his first hit in the eighth inning, a single off Ryan Tepera...Recorded an 11-game hitting streak from 8/3-16, going 18-41 (.439) with three home runs, eight RBI and a 1.207 OPS...Hit his first major-league home run on 8/3 at Boston, a three-run shot off reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello … became the seventh Sox player since 1913 to drive in three-plus runs within his first three career games. Went 3-4 with a two-run double on 8/4 at Fenway Park … joined Zeke Bonura (1934) as the only Sox players since 1913 to record two multiRBI efforts within his first four career games … also became the fourth Sox hitter since 1913 with five-plus RBI within his first four games (first since José Abreu in 2014)...Recorded his first career multihomer game as part of a three-hit effort on 8/16 at the Dodgers … joined Abreu (twice in 2014) as the only Sox players since 2006 to record a multihomer effort within his first 13 career games...Joined Wilson (three in 1998) as the only White Sox players since at least 1913 to register three three-hit efforts over their first 13 career games...Went 0-4 on 8/17 at Texas, snapping his 11-game hitting and 13-game, career-opening on-base streaks...Recorded his second multihomer game on 8/18 at Texas, including a game-winning, inside-the-park solo shot in the eighth … it marked the first inside-the-parker by a Sox rookie since Joe Borchard on 9/9/02 at Kansas City … also matched his career high with three RBI ...Joined Abreu (2014) and Bonura (1934) as the only Sox rookies ever to record two multihomer efforts in a three-game span (Elias) … also joined Abreu as the only White Sox rookies to register two multihomer games in his first 15 career contests...Connected on his sixth home run on 8/21-2 vs. Minnesota, the fastest player in Sox history to reach the mark (19 games). Was on the 10-day disabled list from 8/26-9/5 with a sprained right wrist...That's a Wrap: Recorded his first career game-ending hit and home run on 9/27 vs. the Angels, a two-run shot in the 10th off Blake Parker … also matched his career-high with three hits... Became the first Sox rookie to hit a game-ending home run in extra innings since Joe Crede on 8/27/02 vs. Toronto (STATS LLC) … joined fellow rookie Matt Davidson as the only Sox to hit walkoff homers this season, marking the first time in club history multiple rookies hit game-ending shots in the same season...Missed the final two games of the season with a strained left shoulder, which he aggravated on 9/29 at Cleveland ...Appeared in 99 games with Charlotte, including 73 at third base, 13 in left field and three in right … was named to the International League midseason All-Star Team...Fell a double shy of the cycle on 4/8 vs. Norfolk, going 3-4 with three RBI and three runs scored...Registered four consecutive multihit efforts from 4/20-25, going 8-15 (.533) with three RBI … hit a pair of home runs and drove in four on 5/21 at Norfolk...Homered in back-to-back games from 5/28-29 vs. Buffalo.
2016
Split the season between Class AA Birmingham and Charlotte, combining to hit .279 (112-402) with 30 doubles, 17 home runs and 61 RBI over 110 games ... Reached base safely in 25 straight games from 4/23-5/19, batting .358 (32-95) with seven homers and 21 RBI … homered twice on 4/25 at Chattanooga and 5/23 vs. Montgomery ... Was promoted to Charlotte on 5/24 … led the Barons with a .338 average, 14 doubles, 10 homers and 31 RBI at the time of his promotion ... Homered with a career-high five RBI on 8/28 at New Orleans.
