CHICAGO — Regardless of his injury, Avisail Garcia is still a big part of the future for the Chicago White Sox. Dayan Viciedo now gets a chance to stake his claim.
Garcia was ruled out for the season Thursday after being diagnosed with a torn labrum in his left shoulder; he suffered the injury Wednesday diving for a ball in Colorado. Garcia will undergo surgery in the near future and was put on the 15-day disabled list.
“Obviously, it’s lousy,” general manager Rick Hahn said. “Stings for the kid, who is crushed right now. He is very disappointed. He was hoping this was going to be a temporary thing, but obviously he understands the situation in front of him.”
With Garcia out for the season, the White Sox are turning to Viciedo to take his place in right field. Last season, Viciedo hit a disappointing .265 with 14 home runs and 56 RBIs, throwing his place in the team’s plans in doubt and reportedly making him available for trade.
Now he’ll be in the lineup every day to replace one of the team’s building blocks.
“At the same time, it does provide some opportunity. We get a chance to see if Dayan Viciedo, at age 25, can make the improvements that he’s shown signs of making already,” Hahn said. “He’s going to have the opportunity to play on a more regular basis, in all probability, and perhaps entrench himself as part of this new long-term core we’re trying to put together.”
Viciedo wasn’t as concerned with his opportunity, thinking more about the injury to Garcia.
“I am really sorry and, to be honest with you, I don’t really want to talk about that,” Viciedo said through a translator. “It’s something you don’t want to wish on anybody, much less on a teammate. It’s a tough situation that could happen to anybody.”
Viciedo went 1-for-4 on Thursday.