The White Sox announced some unfortunate news on Saturday afternoon regarding shortstop Tim Anderson. After leaving last night’s game with what was described as “soreness in his right hip,” the team revealed that Anderson has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained right groin. As part of the corresponding roster move, catcher Yermin Mercedes has received a promotion from the Schaumburg training facility and was emotional about the news.
“I’m excited cause I waited a long time,” Mercedes said. “I can cry right now, but I’m excited cause I’m here… It’s a long time, but now I got it.”
Mercedes, 27, has been playing professionally since 2011 and made quite the journey to get to this point. He originally started out with the Nationals’ Dominican Summer League team, bounced around Indy Ball clubs upon his release, spent three seasons in the Orioles organization, and was later acquired by the White Sox in the minor-league portion of the 2017 Rule 5 Draft. He has since gone on to play for the High-A Winston-Salem Dash, Double-A Birmingham Barons, and Triple-A Charlotte Knights down on the farm.
Between the Barons and Knights last season, Mercedes hit .317 with 19 doubles, 23 home runs, and 80 RBI in 95 games. He also accumulated four home runs with nine RBI before spring training activities were suspended. The 5-foot-11, 235 pound Mercedes ranked among the organizational leaders in slugging percentage (2nd, .581), average (3rd), home runs (3rd), RBI (3rd), and on-base percentage (3rd, .388) – per a White Sox press release.
“Baseball is everything in my life right now because I have a long time played baseball,” explained Mercedes. “When I was a little boy, my family believed in me. I’ve been hearing the big league, I say when I was a little boy, it’s hard and I don’t know how I go to the big league. I just keep working hard, it’s a long time, but I never, never put my head down.”
Though he won’t be replacing Anderson specifically at the shortstop position, Mercedes does give the team even more depth at the first-base, catcher, and designated hitter positions. It’s hard to tell how much action he’ll see or what role he’ll play, especially since Zack Collins provides the same services off the bench with a more useful left-handed bat. As for shortstop, Leury Garcia looks to get most of the reps for now as the team’s depth will be tested over the next 10 days.
Mercedes will wear number 49 with the Sox.
For more White Sox news, follow us on social media @SoxOn35th!
Featured Photo: Laura Wolff/Charlotte Knights
Yermin Mercedes has done nothing but rake for the White Sox since they acquired him from the Orioles in the AAA phase of the December 2017 Rule 5 Draft. He was especially prolific splitting the 2019 season between AA Birmingham and AAA Charlotte. He continued to impress with the bat before spring training was suspended in late March and also mashed during summer camp before being optioned to the team’s alternate site in Schaumburg. He lacks a regular position with the current White Sox but could become their primary DH in 2021 if the front office decides to pass on Edwin Encarnación’s $12MM team option this offseason.