Chicago White Sox Catcher Max Stassi Undergoes Season-Ending Hip Surgery

Max Stassi, formerly a catcher for the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels, will not appear for the Chicago White Sox this season due to his hip injury.

Feb 27, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Chicago White Sox catcher Max Stassi (33) looks on against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. | Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago White Sox catcher Max Stassi has undergone a season-ending left hip surfacing procedure, the team announced Monday afternoon.

Stassi had the operation at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City on Friday.

The 33-year-old backstop appeared in 12 Spring Training games for the White Sox, but opened the regular season on the injured list. After appearing in five Triple-A contests during a rehab assignment in April, Stassi suffered a setback and was subsequently placed on the 60-day IL.

Stassi also missed the entire 2023 season with a hip injury he sustained during Spring Training.

C Max Stassi underwent a season-ending left hip surfacing procedure on Friday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) June 10, 2024

The Oakland Athletics gave Stassi his first shot in professional baseball, selecting him in the fourth round of the 2009 MLB Draft. Stassi opted to sign with the A's instead of attending UCLA, so he spent the next few years working his way up through their farm system.

Stassi got dealt to the Houston Astros in 2013, and he made his MLB debut later that year. He played just 44 games at the big league level between 2013 and 2017, though, not completely breaking out until he made 88 appearances in 2018.

Houston dealt Stassi to the Los Angeles Angels at the 2019 MLB Trade Deadline, and he wound up signing a three-year, $17.5 million extension with the Halos prior to the 2022 campaign.

Stassi is in the final year of that contract now, but he White Sox aren't even the ones paying it. The Angels traded Stassi to the Atlanta Braves in December, only for Atlanta to flip him to Chicago for a player to be named later while taking on most of the salary relief.

While the White Sox technically have a $7.5 million club option on Stassi's deal for 2025, it is extremely unlikely they pick it up.

The veteran is a lifetime .212 hitter with a .656 career OPS, racking up 41 home runs, 128 RBI, 241 hits, 119 walks, 379 strikeouts and a 2.2 WAR in 403 appearances since 2013. Stassi has, however, posted 26 defensive runs saved as a catcher in his career.

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