During the fourth inning of the Chicago White Sox’ pivotal rubber match with the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday, Colson Montgomery was plunked.
The infielder took a ball and swung at a sinker before an errant throw by Parker Messick hit his forearm. Montgomery immediately dropped his bat and grabbed his wrist in noticeable pain. He ended up staying in the game and taking his base at first. The inning would end one batter later when Luisangel Acuña grounded into a force out.
Come the bottom of the fifth inning, however, Montgomery was suddenly replaced in the field. The White Sox officially ruled him out with a left wrist contusion. And the concern immediately set in.
It’s never ideal when a player attempts to stay in the game, only to get yanked shortly after. Not to mention, it wasn’t any pitch that caught Montgomery high. Messick sent a 95 mph fastball right at his arm.
Nonetheless, the White Sox made sure to keep their fans updated, sharing a little later that the immediate X-rays for Montgomery came back negative. It’s undoubtedly a positive sign considering the circumstances.
At the same time, he is now listed as day-to-day. Will Venable also shared after the game that he had to exit since he experienced trouble swinging the bat. All things considered, it’s hard to imagine this bump in the road will help him finally break out of what has been an ugly slump.
Colson Montgomery’s first full year in the majors hasn’t gone according to plan. Originally expected to be a major part of the team’s success, he has really struggled to look like the same dynamic hitter who took the plate in 71 games last season.
To be sure, the power has still impressed at times. He has 31 homers on the year to go along with 84 RBIs. His bat speed also ranks in the league’s 94th percentile, per Baseball Savant. However, he is hitting a mere .203 over his 144 games played with a modest .710 OPS.
Things have really trended in the wrong direction over the last couple of weeks. He is slashing just .102/.254/.265 over his previous 15 contests. This has included striking out 26 times and mustering only five total hits.
The White Sox always knew that slugging was Montgomery’s specialty, but they undoubtedly hoped for more consistent contact in 2026. The fact that it hasn’t happened is a legitimate concern, as is Montgomery’s struggles at a crucial point in the calendar.
Indeed, the White Sox have now lost control of the AL Central after dropping two of three to the Cleveland Guardians. There is still time for them to walk away with the top spot, but it’s going to have to take a big turnaround offensively. Montgomery could be a catalyst.
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