White Sox lose Miguel Vargas for several weeks with strained oblique
ANAHEIM, Calif. — White Sox corner infielder Miguel Vargas landed on the 10-day injured list for the first time as a big-leaguer Sunday with an injury he had never suffered, a left oblique strain that will sideline him for several weeks.
His timing wasn’t great as he and his team have heated up since the All-Star break, the Sox winning 10 of 14 games entering the series finale against the Angels and Vargas hitting .296 (16-for-54) with an .874 OPS, three home runs, three doubles and nine RBI in his last 13 games.
“It kind of sucks having this setback at this point of the season,” said Vargas, who was scratched from the lineup Saturday night after feeling a twinge in his side during batting practice. “I want to be on the field with my team, especially now when we’re playing so much better. I’ve really been enjoying winning baseball games.”
Vargas was replaced on the 26-man roster by corner infielder Curtis Mead, who was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte. Second baseman Lenyn Sosa moved from second base to first, and middle infielder-turned-outfielder Brooks Baldwin made his second consecutive start at third base Sunday.
“Vargy has been one of our guys the whole year, a leader in the clubhouse and a performer on the field, especially after a tough start,” Sox manager Will Venable said. “We’re gonna miss him a lot. It’s a tough blow for us.”
The Sox believe Vargas’ injury is relatively mild, but oblique strains can be tricky, taking some players two or three weeks to recover and others two or three months.
Fair trade
That Andrew Vaughn-for-Aaron Civale deal between the Sox and Brewers might not be as lopsided as it first appeared.
Vaughn hit .371 with a 1.157 OPS, six homers and 24 RBI in his first 18 games since the June 13 trade, but the veteran right-hander the Sox received for Vaughn has been no slouch.
Civale allowed one hit, a fourth-inning dribbler up the third-base line, in 6⅓ scoreless innings Saturday. He struck out eight and walked two to lead the Sox to a 1-0 victory against the Angels.
Civale has allowed no earned runs and seven hits in 17⅓ innings in his last three starts, striking out 20 and walking three.
“He had so much conviction on the mound, I could have been blindfolded, and he was hitting the spot, you know?” catcher Kyle Teel said. “He made my job really easy.”
All that prevented a Sox combined no-hitter for Civale, Brandon Eisert and Jordan Leasure was a tapper by Zach Neto to lead off the fourth.
Baldwin, making his first career start at third, charged aggressively, but the ball squirted out on his glove-to-hand exchange. Neto crossed first base with no throw, and 46-year veteran scorekeeper Ed Munson didn’t hesitate in ruling the play a single.
“Yeah, that’s a hit,” Venable said.
Baldwin felt regret after watching a replay, not because he failed to make the play, but because the ball likely would’ve rolled foul if he had let it go.
“That being the only hit, it’s kind of a bummer,” Baldwin said. “Who knows what would have happened if I let it go foul and that at-bat continued?”
Roster moves
The Sox released right-hander Noah Syndergaard, 32, who hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2023. At Charlotte, the former Mets star had a 10.13 ERA in two outings spanning eight innings. He allowed five home runs.
The Sox also claimed left-hander Bryan Hudson and right-hander Elvis Peguero off waivers from the Brewers and designated right-hander Jesse Scholtens for assignment.
The 6-8, 250-pound Hudson, a third-round pick of the Cubs in 2015, and the 6-4, 240-pound Peguero, who made 133 big-league appearances for the Angels and Brewers, were optioned to Charlotte.