For the second time in three days, Jake Burger was removed from a game because of an injury scare during Friday’s 4-2 loss to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in Charlotte.
Burger was pulled in the top of the third after experiencing wrist discomfort. Manager Wes Helms said the move was precautionary and the issue is believed to be minor, but Burger will be examined by the medical staff on Saturday. Burger was pulled from Wednesday’s game after what turned out to be a cramp by his rib cage.
Micker Adolfo also came out of the game tonight after striking out in the bottom of the seventh. Helms said Adolfo had a “pec/shoulder” issue. Adolfo felt ok shortly thereafter but will be examined tomorrow as well.
Speaking of injuries, the team’s two rehabbing major leaguers, Luis Robert and Jake Lamb, had solid games. Robert had a single and walk in five plate appearances, with two strikeouts, along with a stolen base.
“He looks good,” Helms said of Robert. “He’s actually working on some things. He wants to see some pitches, get his timing back. He’s an aggressive hitter and he wants to go after the first pitch. CJ (Knights hitting coach Chris Johnson) and Frank Menechino (the White Sox hitting coach) have a game plan for him, to not just play aggressively like he always does, they want to make sure that he sees pitches and has some long at bats maybe, just to get comfortable while he’s here.”
Helms said Robert’s stolen base also showed that his injured leg is healthy.
Lamb has looked increasingly comfortable at the plate this week as his timing returns. He had two walks and no hits tonight in five appearances, and scored a run. In what was originally thought to be a brief rehab stay, Lamb has now played in 12 games with the Knights.
A Pitchers’ Duel Early
The Knights started their ace, Mike Wright, while Jacksonville countered with highly-touted prospect Edward Cabrera. And both were on their games early.
Cabrera, MLB’s 51st overall prospect, dazzled, recording 12 of 14 outs by strikeout. To their credit, the Knights did get to him for four walks and four hits, but like so many games recently, could not get the big RBI hit when they needed it.
Three Jumbo Shrimp relievers limited the Knights to just two hits and an unearned run over the final 4.1 innings. The Knights left 10 men on base, and were 0-6 with runners in scoring position.
Wright actually took a 1-0 lead to the top of the sixth but was touched for a double, infield hit, home run and three runs. The Jumbo Shrimp added a run on a sac fly in the seventh, knocking Wright out of the game in the process.
The Knights had just two extra-base hits, a solo shot by Nate Nolan, his fifth, and a double by Blake Rutherford, his 18th on the year.
“It was actually a pretty good game even though we didn’t win,” Helms said. “We had two good arms on the mound, not a lot happening at the plate, but it was good overall.”
Yermin Shows Off His Wheels?
Opening the bottom of the third, Yermin Mercedes laid down a beautiful bunt along the third-base line for a hit. Mercedes did it on his own, but Helms thought it was a great play to possibly start a rally against a really tough pitcher.
Lots Of Roster Moves
None of the Knights’ players were involved in trade-deadline transactions, but the roster was nevertheless impacted. To make room on the major-league roster for its new additions, the White Sox optioned Danny Mendick and Ryan Burr to Charlotte. The White Sox also signed former Pittsburgh reliever Kyle Crick and assigned him to Charlotte.
At the same time, last night’s starter in the doubleheader nightcap, John Parke, was returned to Birmingham today as the White Sox balance their minor-league rosters. Parke was excellent last night and would have been a welcome addition to a Knights’ staff that could use some starting pitching depth.
Photo credit: Caleb Probst/FutureSox
Want to know right away when we publish a new article? Type your email address in the box on the right-side bar (or at the bottom on a mobile device) and click create subscription. Our list is completely spam free and you can opt out at any time. Also, consider supporting FutureSox on Patreon! You can get early access to special articles and Patreon-only posts, in addition to more benefits.
Shop our exclusive merchandise! Show your support with FutureSox apparel.