Two games into his rehab stint, Avisail Garcia looks like his old self. Not just because he's 5-for-9, but because he's mostly using center and right field.
Below are GIFs of his five hits -- the first two from Friday, and the other three from Saturday.
First single
Second single
Third single
Fourth single
Fifth single
Considering Garcia had been out of action for pretty much four whole months, this is a strong start to his rehab stint.
What made Garcia's labrum injury extra unfortunate, though, was that it happened right after a game in which he hit two homers to left field. The only element missing from his hit tool was the ability to pull the ball with authority. He had been working on that with Todd Steverson to maximize his brute strength, and just when the progress started to show ... cruuuuunch.
As he works his way back into shape -- the plan calls for DH'ing the first week or so, then getting reps in the outfield afterward -- I don't expect the home-run power to return immediately. It might not even show up in September, which is fine since health is the first priority. The initial idea of a season-ending injury makes any kind of additional 2014 production welcome.
But if it's a best-case scenario you want, then it prominently involves Garcia being able to turn on fastballs before the end of the season. The White Sox stand to lose some on-paper homers if they part ways with Adam Dunn and Dayan Viciedo, but if Garcia can reestablish some pull power in short order, the Sox might not have to concern themselves as much with finding some thump in the offseason.