White Sox Minor League Update: June 3, 2017

If the White Sox tried contending for one more season, Jordan Stephens might have appeared on most top White Sox prospect lists. Instead, the White Sox acquired four prominent pitching prospects and knocked Stephens into the honorable mentions.

A fifth-round pick out of Rice University in 2015, Stephens received high marks for his stuff, but the combination of Tommy John surgery and a smallish frame (6’1”, 190lbs.) made durability a question mark, and relief pitching a more likely outcome.

Stephens held off that future by compiling 141 strong innings at Winston-Salem last season (3.45 ERA, 155 strikeouts to 48 walks). He was probably too good for the level, but pitching at High-A allowed him to build up his innings after throwing than 80 innings between college and his pro debut in 2015.

Stephens opened the season on Birmingham’s roster, but also on the disabled list due to tendinitis in his right forearm. That’s where he’d been the first two months until ...

... he came off the DL on Saturday and promptly pitched six innings of one-hit, shutout ball in his 2017 and Double-A debut.

Top prospects at a glance

• Yoan Moncada: 0-for-4, K
• Jordan Stephens: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K
• Zack Collins: 1-for-4, HR, 3 K
• Alec Hansen: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Buffalo 4, Charlotte 0

• Yoan Moncada went 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
• Jacob May and Rymer Liriano were both 1-for-4 with a strikeout.
• Nicky Delmonico was 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
• Danny Hayes went 0-for-4.
• James Shields’ rehab start: 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 3 K, 35 of 54 pitches for strikes.

Birmingham 7, Chattanooga 6

• Eddy Alvarez was perfect, with three singles and two walks.
• Nick Basto went 1-for-5 with a double and two strieouts.
• Alfredo Gonzalez was 1-for-3 with a double, sac fly and strikeout.
• Jordan Stephens’ 2017 debut: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K

Winston-Salem 5, Wilmington 2

• Zack Collins hit his eighth homer and struck out three times.
• Trey Michalczewsi, 2-for-4 with a double and a strikeout.
• Johan Cruz went 1-for-4.
• Zach Thompson: 6 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 1 WP

Greensboro 8, Kannapolis 1

• Joel Booker went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
• Jameson Fisher, 1-for-4 with a triple and two strikeouts.
• Micker Adolfo was 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
• Alec Hansen: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 65 of 92 pitches for strikes.

DSL White Sox ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, DSL Padres ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The scoreboard stalled in the top of the eighth inning, so I’ll hold off on typing up lines or previewing the roster until the data is in full working order.