White Sox Minor League Update: May 5, 2017

It seems like the worst is behind Adam Engel.

Engel’s disastrous start was part of a clustersuck for center field on the White Sox depth chart. He went 3-for-44 with 16 strikeouts over his first 12 games — good for a .068/.176/.068 line. Combined with Jacob May’s similar struggles in Chicago and Charlie Tilson’s leglessness, the White Sox courted disaster.

Fortunately, Leury Garcia started making contact, and Willy Garcia can fake center well enough to serve as a fourth outfielder, even if he may the next to be exposed. That allowed May to return to his rightful place in Charlotte, and the reshuffling might have cost Engel a level if he continued flailing.

Instead, Engel rallied. He had a perfect night at the plate on Friday, boosting his line over his last 10 games to .333/.436/.756. More importantly, he’s had five K-less games and four one-K games after some ugly bunching in this category early.

He still has a ways to go to make up for his ugly stumbles out of the gate, but he’s at least on a course to earn a look at some point if the Sox wanted a true defensive center fielder in the mix.

Top prospects at a glance

• Yoan Moncada: 2-for-4, BB, K.
• Luis Alexander Basabe went 1-for-5 with a double.
• Zack Collins, 1-for-3 with a walk, sac fly and strikeout.
• Alec Hansen: 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 1 HBP

Gwinnett 5, Charlotte 4

• Yoan Moncada went 2-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout.
• Jacob May, 1-for-4 with a walk, strikeout and stolen base.
• Nicky Delmonico went 0-for-5.
• Danny Hayes, 0-for-3 with two walks.
• Rymer Liriano went 1-for-4 with a strikeout.
• Adam Engel homered, doubled and drew two walks.
• Cory Luebke started: 4 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 HR

Mississippi 4, Birmingham 2

• Eddy Alvarez went 0-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout..
• Jake Peter and Trey Michalczewski were both 0-for-2 with two walks and a strikeout.
• Nick Basto was 0-for-3 with a strikeout.
• Courtney Hawkins doubled and struck out three times, making it 16 in his last 20 at-bats.
• Jordan Guerrero: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K

Salem 13, Winston-Salem 8

• Luis Alexander Basabe went 1-for-5 with a double.
• Zack Collins, 1-for-3 with a walk, sac fly and strikeout.
• Johan Cruz was 0-for-4 with a strikeout.

Asheville 5, Kannapolis 1

• Joel Booker went 2-for-4 with a strikeout.
• Mitch Roman, 0-for-3 with a walk.
• Jameson Fisher was 0-for-2 with two walks and a strikeout.
• Micker Adolfo, 1-for-4 with a strikeout.
• Alec Hansen: 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 1 HBP

More:

• Hansen gave up all his runs in the sixth, and the guys from FutureSox said he hit a wall.