Nicky Two Strikes Struck Down to One Hamstring

For the second straight season, White Sox second baseman has been felled by a major injury.

Last year, Chicago was “lucky” to just lose Madrigal for less than half of the season, with a shoulder injury than ended up needing surgery in the offseason.

This year, Madrigal will be shelved for at least two months with a torn hamstring, suffered while running to first base in last night’s loss vs. Toronto. He would be eligible, best-case, to return to action in mid-August.

Per Rick Hahn, that is absolutely the best-case, given the club is still weighing whether to push Madrigal toward season-ending surgery, or rest/rehab.

Don’t read TOO much into the 60-day IL, although it is a clear indication of how serious the injury is. Putting Madrigal on the 60-day this quickly means not only the injury is severe, but allow a player not on the 40-man roster to take Nick’s spot in Chicago.

A player like ... Brian Goodwin (who will not be starting at second base tonight).

Here’s the copyedited White Sox release:

WHITE SOX PLACE NICK MADRIGAL ON 60-DAY INJURED LIST; PURCHASE CONTRACT OF BRIAN GOODWIN FROM TRIPLE-A CHARLOTTE

CHICAGO – Prior to tonight’s game vs. Toronto, the Chicago White Sox placed second baseman Nick Madrigal on the 60-day injured list with a proximal tear of his right hamstring and purchased the contract of outfielder Brian Goodwin from Triple-A Charlotte.

Madrigal, 24, suffered the injury last night running to first base in the seventh inning. He is hitting .305 with 10 doubles, four triples, two home runs, 21 RBIs and 30 runs in 54 games this season, his second with the White Sox. Madrigal, who ranks sixth in the American League in average, is batting .365/.420/.568 over his last 20 games.

Goodwin, 30, is hitting .244 with four doubles, three home runs, 11 RBIs and 12 runs over 24 games with Charlotte this season after agreeing to terms with the White Sox on a minor-league contract on May 4.

Goodwin, 6´ and 205 pounds, is a career .250/.317/.455 hitter with 69 doubles, 42 home runs, 129 RBIs and 144 runs in 357 games over five major-league seasons with Washington (2016-18), Kansas City (2018), the Angels (2019-20) and Cincinnati (2020).

He set career highs with the Angels in 2019 when he batted .262/.326/.470 with 29 doubles, three triples, 17 homers, 47 RBIs and 65 runs over 136 games.

Goodwin, who bats left-handed, was selected by the Nationals in the first round (34th overall) of the 2011 draft out of Miami-Dade College. He originally was drafted by the White Sox in the 17th round in 2009 out of Rocky Mount (N.C.) High School.

Goodwin will wear uniform No. 30.

Tonight, Danny Mendick starts at second base for the White Sox. Expect Mendick and Leury García to man the keystone in the short term, if not for the rest of the season.