Chicago White Sox's Jacob Amaya Managing Hip Injury Amid Battle For Shortstop Job
Chicago White Sox infielder Jacob Amaya left Monday's spring training game with left hip tightness, per an announcement from the team.
Prior to his early exit Monday, Amaya was 0-for-1 with a strikeout against the Athletics. The 26-year-old, who is in the midst of a heated position battle at shortstop, is now batting .133 with a .435 OPS through eight Cactus League contests.
Amaya was not in Chicago's starting lineup against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday, suggesting that he is still managing his hip injury. William Bergolla took Amaya's place at shortstop.
Chicago optioned top prospect Colson Montgomery to Triple-A on Tuesday, taking him out of contention for the team's Opening Day starting shortstop job. That leaves Amaya, veteran Josh Rojas, rookie Brooks Baldwin and top prospect Case Meidroth to battle it out in the final weeks of camp.
The White Sox designated Amaya for assignment in January, only to re-claim him off waivers a few weeks later after the Baltimore Orioles designated him for assignment themselves.
Amaya got his start with the Los Angeles Dodgers, establishing himself as a top-10 prospect in their farm system before getting traded to the Miami Marlins, then the Houston Astros. He made his MLB debut with the Marlins in 2023.
Once Houston designated Amaya for assignment in August 2024, Chicago added him off waivers and played him in 23 big league games.
Amaya hit .179 with three RBI, one stolen base, a .419 OPS and a 0.0 WAR in a White Sox uniform down the stretch. He also added three defensive runs saved at shortstop.
Over the course of his minor-league career, Amaya is a .251 hitter with a .741 OPS, averaging 15 home runs, 80 RBI and 11 stolen bases per 162 games.
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