White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson suffered a strained right groin during the fifth inning of today’s game with the Cubs. While fielding a grounder and throwing out P.J. Higgins at first base, Anderson fell to the ground after making the play and was clearly favoring his right leg. Anderson had to be helped off the field after being examined by team trainers, and was replaced at shortstop by Danny Mendick.
In what has already been an injury-plagued season for the White Sox, losing Anderson for any significant amount of time would be the biggest setback yet. Anderson has been the cornerstone of an otherwise inconsistent lineup, hitting .356/.393/.503 with five homers and eight steals (out of eight chances) in 173 plate appearances.
The Sox announced that Anderson will undergo further tests on Monday, so the severity of the strain won’t be known for a while yet. It would seem like Anderson will have to be placed on the 10-day injured list, though if it’s a lesser strain, he might not miss too much action.
Mendick and Leury Garcia would be the top candidates to play shortstop, though the White Sox are otherwise short on experienced infield depth at the minor league level. If Anderson’s groin injury does require an extended absence, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Chicago acquire a veteran infielder at least on a minor league contract to help provide more backup.
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