More Injuries Lead White Sox to Sign Former Yankees Outfielder
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As the Chicago White Sox continue their surge toward a winning record, the organization decided to bring in some veteran help.
Ahead of the team's 6-0 victory over the Angels on Monday – where, yes, Munetaka Murakami hit another home run – the team announced the signing of Randal Grichuk. The outfielder was inked to a one-year, $1.25 million deal and will help bolster the team's depth in the wake of some injury trouble.
The subsequent moves by Chicago saw Austin Hays hit the 10-day IL and Tanner Murray hit the 60-day IL. The former was one of the Sox' main free agent signings this summer, but he has failed to stay healthy early on this year. Expected to be an everyday player, Hays has only been on the field for 12 games due to a hamstring strain and a calf strain.
As for Tanner Murray, the 26-year-old's rookie season possibly came to a quick end on April 26. He made a fantastic diving catch in left field, fracturing his left shoulder in the process. Murray will now miss at least 4 to 6 months as he rehabs the injury.
Add in the fact that Everson Pereira is currently on the IL for the second time this year, and the Sox knew they needed a more durable force in the clubhouse. And Grichuk could be just that.
What Can White Sox Expect From Randal Grichuk?
Randal Grichuk has been around the block a few times. The MLB journeyman is now 34 years old and made his MLB debut in 2014 with the St. Louis Cardinals. After spending four seasons with the franchise, he has gone on to suit up for a list of seven different teams, which now includes the White Sox.
Grichuk might as well be the epitome of the saying "availability is the best ability." He has played at least 106+ games in six consecutive seasons and has passed that threshold in ten of his major league campaigns. He started 2026 as a part of the New York Yankees, appearing in 16 games primarily in left field. However, they eventually chose to designate Grichuk for assignment after he hit just .194 in his 31 plate appearances with 10 Ks and only one walk.
Still, there is reason to believe the veteran has some good baseball left in him. Over his last seven games with the Yankees, he started to find a more familiar groove. He tallied six hits and ten total bases, only struck out three times. The Sox are surely hoping he can pick up where he left off, especially against left-handed pitchers.
With that said, Will Venable shared with Scott Merkin that the Sox could very well use Grichuk against both lefties and righties. We should also expect to see him suit up occasionally in the DH spot. To be sure, his power isn't what it once was, but Grichuk still recorded double-digit home runs in his ten seasons prior to 2025.
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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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