WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF JUNE

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1 WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF JUNE 20, 2017 McMahon, Bichette, Alvarez lead Team of the Week Mike Rosenbaum, MLB.com Dunning among prospects impressing in Minors Fabian Ardaya, MLB.com Leury latest White Sox to land on DL Oliver Macklin, MLB.com Hahn: Sox sights set on sustained success Scott Merkin, MLB.com White Sox Send Leury Garcia to DL Tony Andracki, CSN Chicago White Sox Hope Dive into Water Polo Pool Pans Out Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago White Sox prospect report: Converting college closers to starters Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune White Sox place center fielder Leury Garcia on 10-day disabled list Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune White Sox put Leury Garcia on 10-day disabled list Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times First-year bullpen coach Curt Hasler in sync with Don Cooper Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times White Sox put Leury Garcia on 10-day disabled list Daily Herald Davidson still striking out, but he's impressing White Sox with pure power Scot Gregor, Daily Herald Power Rankings: Can one club pull away from the NL West pack? ESPN.com Former White Sox infielder Iguchi announces retirement plans Associated Press McMahon, Bichette, Alvarez lead Team of the Week By Mike Rosenbaum / MLB.com June 19, 2017 MLBPipeline.com's Prospect Team of the Week honors the best performances from the previous seven days. Any player currently on an organization Top 30 Prospects list on our Prospect Watch is eligible, including big leaguers. The latest edition of MLBPipeline.com's Prospect Team of the Week (June 12-18) is headlined by Triple-A Albuquerque's Ryan McMahon, who led all Minor Leaguers in OPS (1.883), hits (16) and total bases (35) while also tying for the lead in home runs (five) and RBIs (14). After a strong showing in his return to the Double-A Hartford to begin the year, McMahon has produced a.359/.414/.609 batting line with 14 extra-base hits and 19 RBIs in 16 games since being promoted to Triple-A on June 1. Here's our complete Prospect Team of the Week: C: Grayson Greiner, Erie SeaWolves (Double-A) (Tigers' No. 27 prospect) 5 G,.313/.313/.937, 3 R, 1 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBIs, 0 BB, 4 K Greiner paced all Top 30 catchers in OPS (1.250) and home runs last week, which began with him going deep in back-toback games (and three straight games dating back to the previous Sunday). The 24-year-old backstop went deep twice in that second game, connecting on a pair of three-run shots to finish with a career-high six RBIs. 1B: Ryan McMahon, Albuquerque Isotopes (Triple-A) (Rockies' No. 5 prospect) 6 G,.593/.586/1.296, 6 R, 4 2B, 5 HR, 14 RBIs, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 SB McMahon's week saw him homer in three straight games for Triple-A Albuquerque, including back-to-back two-homer performances on Thursday and Friday. In the latter contest, the 22-year-old set single-game career highs with five hits and seven RBIs, all while falling a triple short of hitting for the cycle. Between both levels, the 22-year-old corner infielder has hit.359/.414/.609 with 11 homers and 25 doubles in 65 games. 2B: Corey Toups, NW Arkansas Naturals (Double-A) (Royals' No. 23 prospect) 5 G,.429/.478/.857, 5 R, 3 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBIs, 1 BB, 6 K, 2 SB

2 Toups collected multiple hits in four of his five games to finish the week with a.429 average, the highest among Top 30 second basemen. He also led the way with 18 total bases, thanks in part to his five extra-base hits. After struggling in May, he's rebounded to hit.305/.364/.508 in 15 games this month. 3B: Travis Blankenhorn, Cedar Rapids Kernels (Class A) (Twins' No. 7 prospect) 7 G,.407/.500/.852, 6 R, 1 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBIs, 5 BB, 4 K, 1 HBP, 1 SB Blankenhorn had six of his 11 hits last week go for extra bases, which enabled him to finish third among Top 30 prospects in total bases (23). The 20-year-old finished his week on a high note, too, going 4-for-5 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored on Sunday against Clinton. He's hitting.259/.348/.457 for the season. SS: Bo Bichette, Lansing Lugnuts (Class A) (Blue Jays' No. 5 prospect)/(mlb No. 100) 5 G,.476/.476/.762, 3 R, 3 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBIs, 0 BB, 3 K, 2 SB Bichette went 7-for-8 with two doubles, one home run and five RBIs last Thursday in a doubleheader for Lansing. He went on to hit safely in four of his five games, giving him hits in 49 of as well as 29 multihit performances -- games this season. Meanwhile, the 19-year-old shortstop continues to pace the Midwest League in all three triple-slash categories at.396/.463/.639. OF: Marten Gasparini, Lexington Legends (Class A) (Royals' No. 18 prospect) 7 G,.370/.400/.778, 4 R, 4 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 14 RBIs, 2 BB, 7 K Gasparini's 14 RBIs last week tied him with McMahon for the most among Top 30 prospects. He plated at least one run in six of his seven games for Lexington, while seven of his 10 hits went for extra bases. The 20-year-old is in the midst of his best month of the season, with a.281/.300/.579 batting line through 16 June games. OF: Yordan Alvarez, Quad Cities River Bandits (Class A) (Astros' No. 14 prospect) 7 G,.381/.533/.952, 6 R, 4 HR, 11 RBIs, 7 BB, 3 IBB, 6 K, 1 HBP Alvarez homered in four of his seven games for Quad Cities last week to push his season total to nine home runs in just 32 games. Despite getting a late start to his season, the 19-year-old first baseman/outfielder has quickly proved to be one of the more advanced hitters in the Midwest League, hitting.360/.468/.658 with nine homers and 33 RBIs in 32 games. OF: Austin Hays, Frederick Keys (Class A Advanced) (Orioles' No. 7 prospect) 7 G,.387/.387/.871, 7 R, 3 2B, 4 HR, 8 RBIs, 0 BB, 6 K Selected to his second PTOW this season, Hays put a bow on his week with a game to remember on Sunday, as the 21- year-old outfielder homered twice en route to setting single-game bests with five hits (5-for-5), six RBIs, four runs scored and 13 total bases. The 21-year-old outfielder finished second in total bases (27) among all Top 30 prospects, giving him a Carolina League-leading 155 total bases for the season. He also ranks second in the Carolina League in average (.328), OPS (.956) and home runs (16). LHP: JoJo Romero, Lakewood Blueclaws (Class A) (Phillies' No. 25 prospect) 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 GS, 8 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K, 0.50 WHIP Romero earns PTOW honors for a second time this season after a lights-out start on Friday that saw him set a career high with 10 strikeouts while allowing only four baserunners in eight scoreless innings for Lakewood. The 20-year-old lefty lowered his ERA to 2.01 with the performance, and he's registered 76 strikeouts while holding hitters to a.217 average in 71 2/3 innings (12 starts). RHP: Luis Castillo, Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Double-A) (Reds' No. 5 prospect) 1-1, 0.63 ERA, 2 GS, 14.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 18 K, 0.49 WHIP

3 Castillo's week began with a dominant performance, as he set a career high with 13 strikeouts while allowing just two hits over eight scoreless frames. Though he would ultimately take the loss in his Sunday outing, the 24-year-old righty did carry a no-hit bid into the seventh inning (of a seven-inning game) before yielding one earned run on three hits. He's missing bats this season at a career-best rate, with 81 strikeouts in 80 1/3 innings (9.1 K/9). RP: Aaron Bummer, Birmingham Barons (Double-A) (White Sox No. 26 prospect) 1-0, 1 SV, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 5 2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K, 0.18 WHIP Bummer, a 23-year-old left-hander, was nearly unhittable in his two appearances for Birmingham, as he recorded 10 of his 17 outs via the strikeout while allowing just one hit. He fanned six over 2 2/3 innings to notch a save in his first appearance, and then recorded a win the latter behind three perfect frames. Dunning among prospects impressing in Minors Bummer, Stephens also stand out as injury-plagued White Sox may need to dig into farm system By Fabian Ardaya / MLB.com June 19, 2017 The injury bug continues to plague the White Sox this season. Just as veteran right-hander James Shields came off the 10-day disabled list to make his first start since April 16 on Sunday, the team was forced to shelve starter Miguel Gonzalez due to A/C joint inflammation to his right shoulder. To compound the issue, the club placed Leury Garcia on the 10-day DL with a sprained finger on his left hand Monday morning. With the injuries adding up and a fluid roster in the next month or so, it's likely that the organization will look to dig into its elite farm system and bring more talent to the big league level. So who has stood out in the Minors? Dane Dunning, RHP, Class A Advanced Winston-Salem Dunning threw his first pro shutout in his last outing Saturday, going seven innings in the first game of a doubleheader (twin bills go seven innings in Minor League games) while striking out seven and walking one. Dunning, the club's No. 11 prospect, has a 2.10 ERA across two levels of Minor League ball this season, and he moved to 3-2 with a 3.29 ERA since getting called up to Winston-Salem. Aaron Bummer, LHP, Double-A Birmingham Bummer was lights-out from the bullpen in a pair of appearances this week for the Barons, and he was included on Mike Rosenbaum's MLB Pipeline Team of the Week for his success. The White Sox No. 26 prospect struck out 10 of the 17 batters he faced in 5 2/3 innings, recording a save and walking none while allowing just one hit. Bummer has posted a 2.38 ERA in 11 appearances (one start) since being called up from Winston-Salem earlier this year. Jordan Stephens, RHP, Double-A Birmingham Stephens, the club's No. 14 prospect, has been dominant since making his season debut on June 3, going at least six innings and allowing two or fewer runs in each of his three outings. His season ERA sits at 0.98 after allowing a pair of runs in 6 1/3 innings on Thursday. Stephens, who started the season on the DL with tendinitis in his right forearm, led all White Sox Minor Leaguers last season with 155 strikeouts in 141 innings. Worth noting Class A Kannapolis has been loaded with talent this season, and it's showing in its production. Kannapolis clinched a first-half title in the South Atlantic League Northern division with a win on Sunday, and it had won eight of its past 10 games entering Monday. White Sox No. 5 prospect and Triple-A Charlotte right-hander Reynaldo Lopez returned to the mound after being scratched from his last start due to personal reasons, tossing 5 1/3 innings and allowing three runs in a no-decision. Yoan Moncada, the No. 1 prospect in baseball, is starting to come out of his slump. He went 4-for-4 with four RBIs and a homer on Friday, and he has three multihit games over his past 10 appearances. He's hitting.287/.386/.444 with eight homers and 24 RBIs for Charlotte this season. Leury latest White Sox to land on DL By Oliver Macklin / MLB.com June 19, 2017

4 The Chicago White Sox placed outfielder Leury Garcia on the 10-day disabled list (retroactive to Friday) with a sprained finger on his left hand, the club announced Monday. The team has not announced a corresponding roster move, but it plans to make one prior to Tuesday night's series opener at Minnesota. Garcia is batting.298 with six home runs and 22 RBIs in 56 games with the White Sox this year while playing mainly center field. He has also appeared in four games in left field, two at shortstop and two at second base. The 26-year-old, who debuted for the Rangers in 2013, has already set career highs in hits (54) and extra-base hits (16). Hahn: Sox sights set on sustained success General manager puts potential for upcoming trades into context By Scott Merkin / MLB.com June 19, 2017 CHICAGO -- The goal for Rick Hahn is not to make the 2017 White Sox worse between now and July 31 as the nonwaiver Trade Deadline approaches. In fact, the general manager laughed out loud when asked that question. Entering Tuesday's series opener against the Twins at Target Field, the White Sox are and sit a half-game away from the worst record in the American League. But they also are four games out of a postseason spot in a league where Houston stands as the lone team at least 10 games above.500. Those facts don't alter Hahn's primary rebuild goals, which are to build a team capable of sustained success and to contend for multiple World Series championships. Hahn reiterated that point and put potential for upcoming trades into context. "I don't look at it as the goal of this season is to get the worst record possible for the benefit of next year's Draft," Hahn said. "I understand that as difficult as it may be to sit through losses or the growing pains that come with a rebuilding process, one of the ancillary benefits is improved Draft position. "So we are cognizant of the fact that there is a benefit to it going forward. In terms of how this roster shapes up and the changes to this roster, that's really dictated by the market and the demand for our players and the opportunity to improve our lot both this season and in the future. "There's never a sentiment of, 'Oh, we are too good.' There's more the 180-degree opposite that, 'Yeah, things might be difficult right now, but there is a benefit to this in the long run.'" Trades involving the White Sox could take place soon. They will be a prime focus of contenders looking for starting pitchers such as Jose Quintana, Derek Holland, Miguel Gonzalez, James Shields and Mike Pelfrey or relievers such as David Robertson, Anthony Swarzak and Tommy Kahnle. Let's not forget contributors on offense such as third baseman Todd Frazier, left fielder Melky Cabrera and center fielder/utility player Leury Garcia. This White Sox rebuild appears to be off to a strong start with a highly rated class from the 2016 MLB Draft and good reviews from the recently completed '17 Draft, not to mention the addition of international free agent Luis Robert. Major trades involving Chris Sale and Adam Eaton started the whole process back in December, returning top prospects such as Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Dane Dunning. Picking up important pieces in trades quite possibly smaller in scope than those two becomes equally important to the overall process. "Every deal we make, there's going to be a purpose," Hahn said. "Every move is going to serve our long-term interest, whether that be because of the players we potentially acquired coming back and how they fit going forward, or even the opportunities that are opened by the playing time opened up at the big league level for guys at the Minor League level who are now ready for that stage of their development." White Sox Send Leury Garcia to DL By Tony Andracki / CSN Chicago June 19, 2017 Leury Garcia is headed to the disabled list. The 26-year-old utility player has a sprained finger on his left hand and has only played once since June 11.

5 The move is retroactive to June 16, meaning Garcia is elgible to come off the DL in just over a week. Garcia is in the midst of a breakout season, hitting.298 with a.345 on-base percentage and.804 OPS. He has six homers and 22 RBI in 56 games. With an off-day Monday, the White Sox have not yet announced a corresponding move to replace Garcia on the roster. White Sox Hope Dive into Water Polo Pool Pans Out By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago June 19, 2017 The White Sox went so far outside of the box with draft pick Sam Abbott that they wound up in the pool. Whereas 34 of the team s 40 picks were spent on college players with proven track records, the White Sox bought a lottery ticket with a potentially huge payoff when they selected the three-time Washington high school water polo MVP in the eighth round of last week s draft. The White Sox know they possess a work in progress in Abbott, who officially signed with the club on Monday and reported to the team s facility in Glendale, Ariz. But scouts and club officials feel if Abbott can ever tap into the potential he put on display in a workout earlier this month that gambling on the 6-foot-5, 230-pounder would be worth the risk. This is one of the most unique stories we ve ever drafted, amateur scouting director Nick Hostetler said. This is going to take some time, there s going to be some patience. But this is one of those high-risk, high-rewards where if this hits, it s a story good enough for a movie. Though the White Sox think it could take Abbott time to develop into a bonafide power hitter, it s no surprise to Abbott s high school baseball coach that he quickly chose baseball over water polo. Curtis High School (Tacoma, Wash.) coach Bryan Robinson said other area coaches wondered about what Abbott might do after the White Sox selected him with the 237th pick in the draft, a pick with a $161,600 slot value. Abbott had committed to play water polo at Long Beach State on a partial scholarship. He d helped Curtis High win consecutive state titles. And he d had success immediately after setting foot in the pool as a freshman. But Robinson suspected that Abbott would sign immediately with the White Sox, who had flown him to Chicago for a June 4 workout at Guaranteed Rate Field. Even though he was a stud in the pool, Robinson knew Abbott loved baseball as much as the other sports. His freshman year he was the Washington state player of the year in water polo, Robinson said. He had a ton of success in the pool. But at the same time was playing baseball in the spring and summer ball. Swimming and water polo were just kind of taking the driver s seat in terms of him getting noticed a little bit. I didn t even question (if he d sign). The White Sox made a really big commitment. That s something you don t turn your back on. The White Sox initially noticed Abbott when area scout Robbie Cummings went to see an opposing school s pitcher. Cummings immediately liked Abbott s frame and his power potential and began to push Abbott on Hostetler. Ultimately, Cummings convinced the White Sox to bring Abbott to Chicago for the workout and that s where Jim Thome, the club s special assistant to the general manager took notice. He was hitting balls so far Jim was standing there and (asked) Who is this kid? Hostetler said. I even had to pull out the roster to look. Once Thome heard Abbott s backstory he was further intrigued. Abbott had never spent more than a few months a year playing baseball as swimming is a year-round sport in Washington. Abbott also had never participated in a baseballspecific conditioning program because swimming always got in the way --- not that Robinson minded. We knew that he was actually probably getting a better workout by being in the pool, Robinson said. And then there s the sheer raw power Abbott brings. Thome liked how Abbott put on a show, hitting a number of balls out to left-center field at Guaranteed Rate Field. Abbott is one of several power bats the White Sox added through the draft along with first-rounder Jake Burger and second-rounder Gavin Sheets. The bat does speak, Thome said. It s exciting to think where a kid like this has come from. He doesn t have a lot of wear and tear.

6 It s exciting to see what he could potentially be. It ll be fun to see how this translates. The White Sox plan to be patient with their project. Hostetler said Abbott could spend as much as two seasons at rookie ball in order to create a steady foundation. It s going to be a long process for Sam, Hostetler said. He wasn t on the circuit. He wasn t an Area Codes guy. Patience and concentration on baseball alone is all Robinson thinks his player needs. Abbott has also worked out in front of Nomar Garciaparra this year and the ex-all-star shortstop had good things to say. Robinson loves Abbott s approach at the plate because he knows his strike zone well and what pitches he does damage on. Abbott knows how to let the ball travel and the ball jumps off his bat. And Robinson thinks Abbott s mindset is perfect for baseball because he knows how to hit the reset button and start over the next day. All it took was someone else seeing it, a process that began with Cummings and picked up with Thome s observations. We knew he could play at the next level just with his swing, Robinson said. Honestly it was a matter of if he wanted to. I overheard the conversation he had with Jim Thome and I thought, Wow, this is really going to take off. Eighth round, that was something special. White Sox prospect report: Converting college closers to starters By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune June 19, 2017 When the White Sox drafted Louisville closer Lincoln Henzman and South Carolina closer Tyler Johnson in the fourth and fifth rounds last week, director of amateur scouting Nick Hostetler announced the club's intentions to try them as starters in the minor leagues. They have an example in their farm system of a college reliever having success as a pro starter in Dane Dunning, who was dropped from the rotation at Florida. Dunning, whom the Sox acquired from the Nationals in December, had his best start to date with Class A Winston-Salem on Saturday, pitching seven scoreless innings with three hits, a walk and seven strikeouts. He owns a 2.10 ERA in 12 starts with Winston-Salem and Class A Kannapolis this year. Sox general manager Rick Hahn said it takes time to measure the best course for a pitcher who is on the edge between starting and relieving. "You respond to the level of success they're having and how their stuff holds up over the course of a start and how they physically hold up over the course of a long season," Hahn said. "And then you reassess the situation in the offseason and make up a plan for next year." The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association last week named Henzman the Stopper of the Year. Yoan Moncada, 2B, Triple-A Charlotte Baseball's top prospect is returning to form after a thumb injury slowed him for a few weeks. He has gone 9-for-21 with a home run, five RBIs, six walks and five strikeouts in his last five games. That included a 4-for-4 night Friday. Michael Kopech, RHP, Double-A Birmingham The Sox's No. 2 prospect has been plagued by 21 walks in his last five starts. In his last start, he gave up five earned runs on five hits with four walks and three strikeouts in four innings as his ERA jumped to Luis Robert, CF, DSL White Sox He completed his first week as a professional, going 3-for-13 with a double, a homer, two RBIs, seven walks, two strikeouts and three stolen bases in five games. Jordan Guerrero, LHP, Birmingham

7 He was named Southern League pitcher of the week after throwing a two-hit shutout Tuesday with two walks and four strikeouts. He has given up four earned runs over his last four starts. Winston-Salem lefty Tanner Banks threw a five-hit shutout Tuesday. Lucas Giolito, RHP, Charlotte After a strong three-week stretch, he has given up six earned runs on 11 hits with four walks and 10 strikeouts in his last two starts. Hahn said last week the No. 1 issue to watch with Giolito has always been fastball command. "That's tightened up significantly in the last five or six starts," Hahn said. "(Pitching coach) Steve McCatty has spoken well of where Lucas is. There has never been any question about his work ethic or attention to detail. Now he's starting to reap some of the benefits of his hard work over the last few months." White Sox place center fielder Leury Garcia on 10-day disabled list By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune June 19, 2017 White Sox on Monday placed center fielder Leury Garcia on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to Friday, with a sprained finger on his left hand. The Sox will make a corresponding move Tuesday before the opener of a three-game series in Minnesota. It seems likely it will be another outfielder, as the Sox don't have a true center fielder on the roster without Garcia. Garcia has missed six games since jamming his hand on second base June 11 in Cleveland. He played Thursday against the Orioles after right fielder Avisail Garcia was ejected, but his hand was swollen and sore the next day. "Just bruising, some inflammation," manager Rick Renteria said Sunday. "It's annoying, obviously. You need your hands to swing the bat and to catch the ball. He's able to do normal things. We're just trying to see how quickly he can get away from the soreness with things of impact." White Sox put Leury Garcia on 10-day disabled list Leury Garcia, who hasn t started a game since last Sunday because of a sprained finger on his left hand, was put on the 10-day disabled list By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times June 19, 2017 Leury Garcia, who hasn t started a game since last Sunday because of a sprained finger on his left hand, was put on the 10-day disabled list by the White Sox on Monday (retroactive to June 16). The Sox, who are off Monday, will make a corresponding move Tuesday before they begin a three-game series against the Twins in Minneapolis. Garcia, 26, who is having his best season in the major leagues, is hitting.298 with nine doubles, one triple, six home runs, 22 RBI and 28 runs scored. He owns a.345 on-base percentage in 56 games. He is the Sox regular center fielder but has also played left field, shortstop and second base. Garcia s left hand was swollen below the middle and index fingers Sunday, and while he pinch hit in a game against the Orioles Thursday, producing a sacrifice fly against the Orioles in Chicago, the discomfort and swelling haven t subsided enough to allow him to hit since then. He was available only as a pinch runner Sunday in the Sox 7-3 loss to the Blue Jays in Toronto, he said, and did not appear in the series. Alen Hanson started two games in center in Toronto and Willy Garcia started one. First-year bullpen coach Curt Hasler in sync with Don Cooper After paying his dues for 26 years as a White Sox minor-league pitching coordinator and coach, Curt Hasler is in the big leagues as bullpen coach By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times June 19, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS After paying his dues for 26 years as a pitching coach and pitching coordinator in the White Sox farm system, Curt Hasler has arrived in the big leagues. He certainly belongs, Sox pitching coach Don Cooper said. Hasler s title is bullpen coach, but Cooper would be all for it if it were changed to assistant pitching coach.

8 He s my assistant, for sure, Cooper said. I would have no problem if he had the role of assistant pitching coach. He assists me in everything I ask him to do. Hasler and Cooper who has spent 29 seasons in the organization, including 14 as the Sox pitching coach are working together with the big club for the first time, but they have been in lockstep since Hasler was a pitcher for Class A South Bend in Cooper started his career as a pitching coach that season. He was one of my right-hand guys as a coordinator, and now he s one of my right-hand guys here, Cooper said. He s a big help because I can give him assignments, things to do to help me, and I know they are getting done. Hasler was the Sox minor-league pitching coordinator for the last six seasons after being a pitching coach at every minorleague level before that. When Bobby Thigpen wasn t retained as bullpen coach after last season, Hasler changed roles. He s a big asset, Cooper said. While the relievers fall under Hasler s watch during games, he and Cooper work with the entire pitching staff. Hasler said he s not caught up in titles, and the most important thing to him is knowing Cooper trusts him. They watch video together, pore over scouting reports and bounce ideas about their pitchers off each other. I m the bullpen coach, but I think it s more than that because I m doing a lot of different things that he allows and trusts me to do, Hasler said. I believe it s working great. Delivery and communication are Hasler s strengths, both men said. He still challenges me when we re watching our guys, Hasler said. He ll say: What do you see? You tell me what you see before I talk, which is great. Do you see this? Why is he doing that? Cooper can come across as hard-nosed and will bear down on a pitcher, if necessary, Hasler said. But he also brings an upbeat, positive approach pitchers respond to. Passion for the game, passion for getting guys better, Hasler said. He has an uncanny knack to speak positive all the time. And I m learning that, too. He has the ability to say, You didn t do well, in a positive way. That rubs off on people around here. Cooper and Hasler have faced unusual challenges with the Sox staff during this rebuilding season. Chris Sale was traded, Jose Quintana has struggled and Miguel Gonzalez, Dylan Covey and Carlos Rodon have been hurt. Meanwhile, talented prospects such as Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Michael Kopech, Carson Fulmer and Zack Burdi are moments away from being under their wing. It is an exciting time, Hasler said. It s a new time for the White Sox, and I m enjoying the time we re having. We re just doing the day-by-day stuff and looking forward to what s next. NOTE: The Sox put center fielder Leury Garcia on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to Friday, with a sprained finger in his left hand. Garcia has appeared in one game since he injured the hand June 10 in Cleveland. A corresponding move will be made before the Sox open a three-game series Tuesday in Minnesota. White Sox put Leury Garcia on 10-day disabled list By Daily Herald June 19, 2017 Infielder/outfielder Leury Garcia, who is hitting.298 on the season for the White Sox, has been placed on the 10-day disabled list with a sprained finger on his left hand, team officials announced Monday. The 26-year-old Garcia has appeared in 46 games for the White Sox this season. The move is retroactive to June 16. The Sox are expected to call up another player before Tuesday's game in Minneapolis against the Twins. Davidson still striking out, but he's impressing White Sox with pure power By Scot Gregor / Daily Herald June 19, 2017

9 On the first two rounds of last week's amateur draft, the Chicago White Sox selected Jake Burger, a right-handed power hitter with a low strikeout rate, and Gavin Sheets, a left-handed power hitter with a low strikeout rate. "They fit exactly what (general manager) Rick (Hahn) has laid out," said Nick Hostetler, the Sox's director of amateur scouting. "One of my jobs is to follow the direction the GM lays out for the organization, and one of the things is to get guys that get on base, guys that hit home runs, drive in runs but also don't swing and miss much. "Getting on base is key to the game, and when you can hit the ball out of the ballpark, it's a good added plus for both players." As a junior at Missouri State this season, Burger ranked seventh in NCAA Division I baseball with 22 home runs. As a junior at Wake Forest, Sheets ranked eighth with 21 homers. Sluggers are known for taking big swings and missing the baseball, but Burger struck out only 38 times in 247 at-bats and Sheets struck out 34 times in 230. It is very fair to say the White Sox finally learned a lesson after using recent high draft picks on strikeout-prone hitters such as Jared Mitchell, Keenyn Walker and Courtney Hawkins. Matt Davidson was the Arizona Diamondbacks' supplemental first-round pick (No. 35 overall) in 2009, and he was traded to the Sox for closer Addison Reed before the 2014 season. A powerful hitter, Davidson's inability to make consistent contact left him stranded at Class AAA Charlotte in , and he led the International League in strikeouts both seasons. Just when it looked like he had no future with the White Sox, Davidson adjusted. "I made some swing changes," he said. "Just getting in a better position, trying to get there every pitch. There were a couple of cues that I focused on. Keep it simple, and it was a daily routine, so it became ingrained. I wasn't searching for things every day." With Charlotte at the start of last season, the 6-foot-3, 230-pounder made much better contact, and he joined the Sox on June 30. As fate would have it, Davidson broke his right foot running the bases after getting a hit in his first game with the White Sox. He missed the rest of the season and opened the current year in a platoon role at DH with Cody Asche. A 6-for-57 start at the plate earned Asche a demotion to Charlotte, and Davidson has seized the opportunity. Heading into Tuesday night's game at Minnesota, Davidson leads the Sox with 15 home runs and is fourth with 36 RBI. Over his last seven games, Davidson has 5 homers. "Just maturing as a player," he said. "Understanding my swing a little better. We made some pretty drastic swing changes two years ago, and I had a lot of time to reflect on what to improve on going into last season. I'm pretty excited to be here in the big leagues and I'm really enjoying it." Manager Rick Renteria is enjoying the impact Davidson is having on the White Sox's lineup. "He's putting together some pretty decent at-bats," Renteria said. "I think for the most part his approach and his routine has been pretty consistent. If he gets pitches he can handle he's able to do some damage with them." While he is a vastly improved hitter, Davidson does lead the Sox with 77 strikeouts, in 183 at-bats. Looking back on the organization's strong desire to add disciplined power hitters like Burger and Sheets, are Davidson's swing-and-miss issues going to be detrimental to his future with the White Sox? Not necessarily. "I don't get too hung up on the strikeout thing," Hahn said. "You will see what's more important to us is understanding of the strike zone and doing damage on pitches within the zone. Trying the best to lay off pitches out of the zone.

10 "Strikeouts are a consideration, but at the same time we try to take more of a holistic approach and look at everything a player does when evaluating whether they are going to have success. "We prefer fewer strikeouts, but at the same time, if a player is getting on base, taking walks and hitting the ball out of the park, he's still going to have a fair amount of value even if he's striking out." Power Rankings: Can one club pull away from the NL West pack? By ESPN.com June 19, 2017 As the season creeps toward the midway point, we're starting to see some preseason assumptions begin to crumble. With their rotation wracked by injuries while they play.500 ball in June, the Astros are no longer a unanimous No. 1 choice among our voters despite their double-digit lead in the American League West. And months of muddling around.500 have finally chased the Cubs down to the No. 10 slot, and into the mushy middle instead of among the game's elite. Within the logjam of teams still trying to determine whether they're pretenders or contenders, we saw some major moves up in the rankings. The Rangers made the biggest single gain, moving up six slots as they got back to.500. The Royals' slow climb back to respectability saw them crack the top 20 with a five-rung jump to No. 19. Several teams took big drops, however. The Reds' nine-game losing streak in June has dropped them down among the eight National League clubs you'll find in the last nine spots. The Mariners lost more than games this week while seeing their pitching staff allow 50 runs in five days -- they lost face, dropping seven places. And the Orioles have wasted their hot start with a stumble that cost them in the rankings this week with a five-slot drop. Perhaps the biggest question for the weeks to come is whether all three of the National League West's contenders can remain in the top six, especially with some key head-to-head intradivision matchups coming up. Will the winners of those series move into the top three slots? This week's voters are Bradford Doolittle, Eric Karabell, Tim Kurkjian, David Schoenfield and Mark Simon. 21. Chicago White Sox Record: Week 10 ranking: No. 25 It has been largely assumed that the White Sox will be sellers at the trade deadline, but they enter Monday with a positive run differential, having won five of their past seven. Matt Davidson is a big reason why, pounding five home runs during the stretch. One oddity: First baseman Jose Abreu is having a strong season and has 11 home runs so far -- but all have been hit on the road. -- Paul Hembekides, ESPN.com Former White Sox infielder Iguchi announces retirement plans By Associated Press June 20, 2017 TOKYO (AP) Japanese infielder Tadahito Iguchi, who helped the Chicago White Sox win the World Series in 2005, will retire at the end of the 2017 season. The 42-year-old Iguchi, the oldest active player in Nippon Professional Baseball, currently plays for the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan's Pacific League. "I've been thinking when would be the right time to quit," Iguchi said Tuesday. "I want the fans and those who supported me to come and watch me as much as they can." Iguchi had a.278 batting average with 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases during the 2005 season, the first of four in Major League Baseball. He also had stints with the Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres. Iguchi, who started his career in 1996 with the Daiei Hawks, collected his 2,000th career hit in MLB and NPB combined in 2013 while with Lotte a feat accomplished by only seven players. He now has 2,243 career hits. Iguchi hit.271 with 250 homers and 1,010 RBIs in 1,885 games during his career in Japan.