ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Chicago White Sox signed veteran outfielder Randal Grichuk to a one-year, $1.25 million deal on Monday and placed outfielder Austin Hays back on the 10-day injured list because of a left calf strain.
Grichuk, who elected free agency after being designated for assignment by the New York Yankees last week, should give the White Sox a solid right-handed bat against left-handed pitchers.
The 34-year-old is a career .268 hitter with an .816 OPS, 79 homers and 220 RBIs in 1,569 at-bats against left-handers over 13 big-league seasons, including a .317 average and .940 OPS against them from 2022-2024.
“It kind of came together last second,” Grichuk said before Monday night’s series opener against the Los Angeles Angels. “We were talking to a few other teams and were about to get something done when they came into the mix. It’s a young, exciting team that is playing good baseball, so we felt like it was a good spot.”
The White Sox lost at least 100 games in each of the past three years — including a major league-record 121 losses in 2024 — but they entered Monday with a 16-18 record, thanks in part to the potent bat of new first baseman Munetaka Murakami’s 13 homers and 26 RBIs.
“Any time you get a chance to throw on the jersey and compete and keep playing, it’s an honor,” said Grichuk, a 2009 first-round pick of the Angels who is playing for his sixth team in four years.
“They’ve had some tough years here, but they’re on the up-and-up. They’ve got a lot of good guys, and I’m excited to grind with them.”
Hays missed most of April because of a right hamstring strain. He returned last week and played three games before suffering a calf injury that is expected to sideline him for at least two weeks.
“With Hays going down, we needed a right-handed outfielder,” Chicago manager Will Venable said. “(Grichuk) fit the roster, he was available, and we feel really lucky that we got him. He’s a guy with a ton of experience who has performed really well in his league.”
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Mike Digiovanna, The Associated Press
