White Sox Get Outfield Boost, but It Comes With a Difficult Decision

As expected, the Chicago White Sox have made their roster move and brought one of their outfielders back from the injured list.

Prior to Monday night's game against the New York Yankees, Everson Pereira was returned from his rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte and rejoined the White Sox on the active roster.

Outfielder Junior Perez was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte in a corresponding move.

Perez was called up as a direct replacement for Pereira on June 18, and he spent more than a full calendar month in the big leagues gaining valuable experience. He played in 22 games for Chicago, batting .171 with three home runs and a .623 OPS.

He runs well, is a good defender, and possesses undeniable power. But as we saw over the last month, Perez needs to improve his offensive approach and maturity before returning to the big league level. He posted an on-base percentage of just .194 and struck out 14 times in 35 at-bats.

Still, for a 25-year-old outfielder whom the White Sox acquired in May by sending an undrafted free agent to the Athletics, it was encouraging to see Perez contribute. He remains a lottery ticket for Chicago moving forward as he continues to develop.

On the other side of things, getting Pereira back is a welcome sight. The real question is whether he can stay healthy this time around.

In 21 games this season, Pereira has three home runs and a .719 OPS. But he has landed on the IL on three different occasions. On April 5, he was placed on the 10-day IL with a left ankle sprain. On April 29, he returned to the IL with a right pectoral strain. Then, on June 18, he was sidelined once again with a concussion after making a spectacular catch at Yankee Stadium in just his third game back.

The next week will be an important one for the White Sox as they make some difficult decisions. They may ultimately have to choose between Pereira and Austin Hays, who is also on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte and appears ready to rejoin the White Sox. Chicago does not have an obvious roster spot for both players, and with the MLB trade deadline just one week away, the White Sox could be forced to choose between the two and explore trading the other.

Hays clearly outperformed Pereira during their respective rehab assignments. In seven games with Charlotte, Hays is batting .280 with an .856 OPS and two home runs. Pereira also played seven games and hit just .160 with a .542 OPS, though he did hit a home run on Sunday in his final appearance for the Knights.

This week before the deadline will be significant for both players as the White Sox continue evaluating Hays in Triple-A, see what Pereira can bring to the big league club, and ultimately decide which outfielder they want to keep around for the homestretch of the 2026 season. Neither player has minor league options remaining.