RADIO
Colson Montgomery Returning From Shin Injury on Monday
Chicago White Sox infielder Colson Montgomery (shin) is serving as the designated hitter and is batting cleanup for the White Sox in Monday's series opener at home against the visiting New York Yankees and left-hander Max Fried, per MLB.com. Montgomery missed Sunday's series finale against the Houston Astros after fouling a ball off his right shin again on Saturday, but he's back in action after a day off and will have a tough matchup against the lefty Fried, whom he has gone 2-for-3 against in his career. The 24-year-old former 22nd overall pick in 2021 is one of the best young power bats in baseball, although he strikes out 31.9% of the time and is batting just .218 (80-for-367) on the year. Montgomery has actually hit better against lefties in 2026, going 29-for-114 (.254) against them with eight of his 24 home runs on the season, but he has also struggled to a .206 average (14-for-68) with a .614 OPS, three homers, two doubles, 10 RBI, eight runs scored, four walks, and 23 strikeouts in 17 games so far in July. DFS managers should definitely be looking to fade Montgomery for Monday's matchup against Fried.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Munetaka Murakami Progressing in Hamstring Recovery, Trending Toward Return
Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami (hamstring) continues to progress in his recovery from a right hamstring strain with increased baseball activity. Manager Will Venable said the 26-year-old is currently evaluated at around 80 percent, and he added that the club is seeing strong progress in his rehab. Murakami has been an elite power threat in his first season after coming over from Japan, slugging .560 with a .938 OPS and 20 home runs in 57 games before the injury. His presence has been central to the White Sox offense, and his current return timeline is set for late June to early July as he continues to ramp up.
Source: Scott Merkin
Source: Scott Merkin
Randal Grichuk Goes Yard Twice Against Phillies, Can he Keep it Up?
Outfielder Randal Grichuk has only played in 23 games for the Chicago White Sox this year, but he has made an immediate impact, and that continued in a big way in Friday's 8-6 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Grichuk went 2-for-3 at the plate with two solo home runs to boost his season average to .263 and his OPS to .849. The 34-year-old veteran began the 2026 campaign with the New York Yankees, but he was quickly cut after just 16 games played, when he went 6-for-31 (.194) with no homers, two RBI, one walk, and 10 strikeouts. Both of Grichuk's homers on Friday night came off Phillies left-handed starter Jesus Luzardo, with the White Sox combining for five long balls on the night. The former first-rounder back in 2009 is now up to six home runs with 17 RBI and 16 runs scored in his 80 at-bats with the Pale Hose, but fantasy managers in mixed leagues should hold off on adding Grichuk, whose playing time will be limited to the short side of a platoon against southpaws. He's hitting .167 (5-for-30) against righties this year and .320 (16-for-50) with five of his six homers against lefties.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Jacob Gonzalez a Must-Stash Power Bat in Fantasy Baseball
Chicago White Sox shortstop prospect Jacob Gonzalez has been one of the top power hitters in the minor leagues this season, and he's a must-stash player in fantasy baseball as he gets closer to making his MLB debut. Through 51 games this year, the 2023 first-round pick is slashing .308/.414/.646 with 18 home runs, seven steals, a 14.1% walk rate, a 20.5% strikeout rate, and 162 wRC+. While that strikeout rate is a little higher than we'd like to see against Triple-A pitching, it's a fair trade-off when you consider that he's homering once in every 13 plate appearances. The advanced metrics are terrific, too, as Gonzalez owns a 113.6 mph maximum exit velocity (95th percentile), a 12.5% barrel rate (87th percentile), and a 22.6% wiff rate (71st percentile). This is a very advanced profile, and we expect Gonzalez to have a relatively seamless transition to the majors once he does get the call. He projects as a big power bat in the majors, while also offering solid speed and defensive versatility at all four infield positions.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
