Chicago White Sox Designate Veteran Infielder For Assignment

Josh Rojas posted a .512 OPS in 69 games with the White Sox this season.

Chicago White Sox third baseman Josh Rojas (5) against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

CHICAGO –– As infielder Josh Rojas' numbers dropped across the board, on Friday he was designated for assignment by the Chicago White Sox.

To fill his spot, the team recalled catcher Korey Lee from Triple-A Charlotte. The roster move goes into effect ahead of Friday's 6:40 p.m. CT game against the Minnesota Twins at Rate Field.

"Tough to move on from [Rojas," White Sox manager Will Venable said. "I want to thank him for his contributions. He was great for us in the clubhouse. I know not the performance he was looking for on the field but he made a huge impact and somebody we are going to miss."

The White Sox signed Rojas, 31, to a one-year, $3.5 million contract before the season, making him the fourth-highest paid player by average annual value. He's had several productive seasons in the Major Leagues, as he was worth 2.2 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2024 with the Seattle Mariners and 3.1 in 2022 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Rojas' -1.5 WAR in 2025 is second-lowest among White Sox position players, ahead of only Andrew Vaughn's -1.7, per Baseball Reference.

But Rojas' White Sox tenure immediately got off to a rough start, suffering a fractured right toe during spring training. That pushed his season debut back to May 4, and upon returning he didn't return to the form he showed previously in his career.

Through 211 plate appearances with the White Sox, Rojas slashed .180/.252/.259/.512. Across his seven-year Major League career, those are all career-low numbers in seasons with at least 40 games played. He also finished with two home runs, 11 RBIs, four stolen bases, 19 walks and 48 strikeouts.

"He just never got off to the start, right," Venable said. "He wasn’t able to get here with us and start the year healthy. I think that he still battled that foot injury when he did come back a little bit. Just never really got going for him. It’s a tough one, but he’s a young guy that will be in this league for a long time."

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