Tommy Pham’s White Sox Tenure Takes Unexpected Turn

Prior to Sunday’s series finale against the Minnesota Twins, the Chicago White Sox made a roster move that raised plenty of follow-up questions.

Outfielder Tommy Pham has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a left calf strain, while catcher Edgar Quero has been recalled from Triple-A Charlotte. Pham’s IL stint is retroactive to September 3, one day after his last appearance for the White Sox.

It was also his only appearance with the team, which is part of what makes this roster move so strange. The 38-year-old outfielder appeared in just one game for the White Sox, coming off the bench as a pinch hitter and grounding out to shortstop Jeremy Peña in a 2-0 loss to the Houston Astros on September 2.

After being acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies, Pham received just one at-bat and spent most of his brief time with the White Sox on the bench. Now, he has landed on the injured list.

The White Sox recalled Quero from Triple-A Charlotte shortly after optioning Drew Romo to make room for Kyle Teel’s return from the injured list this weekend.

It’s important to note that Romo remains with the White Sox on the team’s taxi squad despite being assigned to Triple-A. With Quero now recalled, Chicago has three catchers on the active roster and four traveling with the team. That appears to be a pretty intentional move by the White Sox.

Quero hasn't been anything to write home about, but he's found some consistency at the plate for Charlotte recently. He recorded at least one hit in six of his last seven games while also drawing four walks. That earned him another opportunity in Major League Baseball, where he’ll look to continue what he was doing in August.

Over his final seven MLB games before being optioned, Quero batted .391 with a 1.003 OPS. He looked much more confident at the plate and appeared to have a better feel for how pitchers were attacking him. Still, the White Sox sent him back to the minor leagues because Romo was viewed as the more palatable defensive option and game caller.

The ultimate hope remains that Teel will figure things out and return to looking like the player he was in 2025. Meanwhile, Jake Rogers gives the White Sox a veteran catcher who can hit left-handed pitching well.

It’ll be interesting to see what kind of role Will Venable and the White Sox have in mind for Quero now that he’s back on the active roster. Regardless, it’s a fascinating transaction, with Quero replacing Pham after the veteran outfielder received just one at-bat in a White Sox uniform. That's an unexpected turn to his second White Sox tenure. 

The White Sox will play in front of a national audience on Sunday Night Baseball, looking to win the series and regain some momentum following a rough week in Houston. There are 20 games remaining on the schedule, with Chicago holding a 2.5-game lead in the AL Central.