White Sox Lose Austin Hays to Injury & Drop First Against Orioles in the Process
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The Chicago White Sox added insult to injury on Monday evening.
With a chance to get back to. 500 after a shocking series sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays, the Sox struggled to get their offense going against the Baltimore Orioles. They were held to only four hits and finished 1-9 with runners in scoring position. The Orioles may not have been significantly better at bringing their guys home, but they still managed to pull off the slim 2-1 victory.
Speaking of which, Baltimore's first run came in unfortunate fashion for Chicago. The Sox were about to get out of the fourth inning unscathed when Tyler O'Neill sent a fly ball to left field. Austin Hays was tracking it down near the foul line, only to suddenly start limping and miss the ball. Already running at full speed thanks to the two outs on the board, Adley Rutschman would end up scoring all the way from first base.
Chicago promptly pulled Hays from the game and replaced him with veteran Derek Hill. The Orioles would go on to add one more run in the sixth inning on a Gunnar Henderson bomb. As for the Sox, they wouldn't score until the bottom of the ninth inning, where their comeback effort came up short after Edgar Quero struck out swinging. Hays would have been up in that inning had he not been injured.
To little surprise, the White Sox went on to announce that Hays had suffered a hamstring strain. Will Venable told media members that he will be headed to the IL due to the ailment. It's undoubtedly a frustrating development for a Sox team that just started to find its groove. Hays may not have been lighting up the scoreboard on a daily basis, but he is tied for second on the team in both hits (7) and RBIs (6) to start the year. Likewise, for a team that has struggled at times defensively, Hays was one of their more dependable options.
Who Will Get Austin Hays' Spot?
Austin Hays' move to the IL obviously means that the White Sox will have a roster tweak to make. This comes only a handful of days after they also lost outfielder Everson Pereira to an IL stint, leading to their decision to call up Tanner Murray.
Considering Murray spends his time in the infield, there is no question the Sox will now have to prioritize someone who can suit up in the outfield when needed. The 32-year-old LaMonte Wade Jr. offers plenty of experience and should be able to enter the mix without skipping a beat. At the same time, might the Sox want to use this as an opportunity to test out a younger body?
Dru Baker is 26 years old and off to an extremely strong start in Charlotte with a .417/.440/.625 line. He already has 10 hits and 5 RBIs to his name. One also has to wonder if now could be the time for Sam Antonacci. Rising the ranks fast this offseason, there are few prospects White Sox fans are more eager to see this season than Antonacci. A fiery player with strong defensive instincts, great base-running ability, and an ever-improving plate presence, it's only a matter of time before he gets a shot.
To be sure, Antonacci is known as an infielder. He is going to be more comfortable at either short or second. But the Sox have started to get him a little extra experience in left field during his early action in Charlotte. With that being the case, a call-up could make even more sense.
Elias Schuster is a sports journalist and content creator from the northern suburbs of Chicago. A graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he has covered the Bulls since 2019-20 and previously served as the editor of BN Bulls at Bleacher Nation. He has been the Publisher for Bulls On SI since December of the 2025-26 season. When he isn't obsessing over hoops, Elias spends his time obsessing over practically every other sport – much to his wife's dismay. He also loves strolling the streets of Chicago for the best cozy bar or restaurant to set up shop and write his next article.
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