White Sox Debut Coming for Rikuu Nishida After Jarred Kelenic DFA

The Chicago White Sox have added a new face ahead of their Memorial Day matchup with the Minnesota Twins.

In the hours leading up to first pitch, the Sox officially announced the promotion of Rikuu Nishida. The Japanese youngster was selected by the Sox three years ago in the 11th round of the 2023 MLB Draft. He has since gone on to climb the organizational ranks rather quickly, already bouncing from Double-A to Triple-A earlier this season.

During his time in Charlotte, Nishida has been lighting it up. He's hitting .347 with an OPS of .849. To be sure, the five-foot-six utility man is far from a power hitter. Nishida is all about finding his way on base with solid contact and a walk rate that sits at 15.3 percent this season.

Rikuu experienced a (positive) rollercoaster of emotions 🥹 pic.twitter.com/D8RNgJsgYX
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 25, 2026

We've also seen Will Venable and Company favor versatility this season. It's presumably a big reason why Luisangel Acuña has remained part of the plans, despite his iffy start to 2026. Nishida offers precisely that with his ability to play all over the diamond. While he has spent the majority of his time at second base, he's also very familiar with each spot in the outfield. The Sox will start him in right field for his MLB debut on Monday afternoon.

Nevertheless, if MLB's Scott Merkin made anything clear in his recent feature on Nishida, it's that his attitude and infectious personality are what stand out most. For a White Sox team that has built up some incredibly positive vibes over the last month-plus, Nishida should fit right into the clubhouse. And, hey, that is essentially when you're trying to keep this momentum going.

White Sox DFA Jarred Kelenic ...

Mar 13, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Chicago White Sox outfielder Jarred Kelenic against the Chicago Cubs during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

To make room for Rikuu Nishida on the active roster, the White Sox officially designated Jarred Kelenic for assignment. The move marks another pretty big setback for the former highly touted Seattle Mariners prospect.

Kelenic was called up at the end of April and has appeared in 19 games over the last month. All things considered, he struggled to give the Sox much of a reason to keep him as part of their outfield rotation. The 26-year-old slashed just .226/.305/.321 with an OPS of .626. While he was doing a slightly better job drawing walks, his strikeout rate still remained far too high at 33.9 percent.

For what it's worth, it sure felt like Kelenic's experience could make a difference on this very young team. This is especially true with recently signed veteran Austin Hays struggling to stay healthy. Nevertheless, Kelenic's production simply wasn't good enough to justify a long-term role, and there is no question that the Sox gave him a decently long runway to prove his worth.

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