Andrew Vaughn is back — at a cost

The Chicago White Sox got Andrew Vaughn back — but at the cost of Lucas Giolito.

Giolito, who started Tuesday’s win over the Cleveland Guardians, was put on the COVID-19 related injured list on Friday, opening up a spot for the slugger’s return.

It was on Wednesday when a rash of symptoms/tests of Cleveland’s coaching staff forced the cancellation of that day’s series finale. Giolito now must quarantine for five days, which means he will miss his next start, scheduled for Monday night in Kansas City.

Best case, Giolito tests negative at least twice during his quarantine and thus can be released from the COVID list as early as Tuesday (?), meaning he would barely miss his turn AND help out with a starter crunch given the scheduled doubleheader on that day vs. the Royals. Lacking any negative tests, Giolito would need to fulfill at least a full 10 days on the IL, missing two starts.

This marks Giolito’s second stint on the injured list already in this young season. He left his Opening Day start with abdominal soreness, necessitating an IL stint that took him out of the first half of April.

In brighter news, Vaughn comes off of his two-homer game at Charlotte on Thursday to try injecting some power into a White Sox lineup that put seven runs on the Yankees last night.

Vaughn was 2-for-7 in his two-game rehab stint in Charlotte, with those two homers and three runs. He went on the IL on May 5 after a right-hand bruise from a HBP wasn’t healing quickly enough.

With the White Sox, Vaughn is hitting .283/.367/.566 with three doubles, four homers and 12 RBIs in 16 games so far in 2022. He has been regarded as Chicago’s best overall hitter for the first month of the season.