Everson Pereira’s lack of minor league options once made him a roster favorite, but missed time this spring could complicate the White Sox’ already crowded outfield competition.
One of the most interesting position battles in Chicago White Sox spring training for the 2026 season is what transpires in the outfield.
The White Sox have veterans Andrew Benintendi and Austin Hays locked into roster spots — and likely playing most days as the starting corner outfielders.
It’s reasonable to assume that Luisangel Acuña, as the return in a trade for Luis Robert Jr., will at least be on the roster on Opening Day as well. But there could be at least two more outfield spots up for grabs, and the White Sox have plenty of players vying for those jobs.
There’s Brooks Baldwin, a former utility man turned primary outfielder. The 25-year-old had a big second half of the 2025 season and is already building on those efforts with a strong spring.
Also on the 40-man roster is Everson Pereira, whom the White Sox acquired via trade with the Tampa Bay Rays during the offseason. There’s also Derek Hill, a veteran known for his defense and baserunning ability. And Tristan Peters, another player acquired in a trade with Tampa Bay who stuck on the roster throughout the winter.
Beyond that, Chicago has non-roster invites such as Jarred Kelenic and Dustin Harris who fit the mold of reclamation projects that could fight their way into the mix with a productive spring.
And before Cactus League action got underway, Pereira was the clear favorite, in my opinion.
Not only is he on the 40-man roster, but he does not have minor league options remaining. If the White Sox want to keep him in the minor leagues, they’d have to designate him for assignment and hope he clears waivers. A player with his offensive upside and youth is unlikely to do so at this stage of the season.
While Derek Hill is also without minor league options, Pereira is far and away the player with more offensive upside. That’s the kind of swing the White Sox are going to take in the early stages of 2026.
It’s Pereira’s job to lose.
Just one problem… he might actually be losing it.
Pereira was scratched from the lineup before the Cactus League opener between the White Sox and Cubs last week. He was dealing with tightness in his side, which raised red flags about a possible oblique injury that could sideline him for an extended period of time.
Manager Will Venable indicated that Pereira was only day-to-day. It seemed like he avoided anything too serious, and his absence was more precautionary.
But it’s now been a full week, and we’ve yet to see Pereira enter a spring training game.
Meanwhile, coming into Thursday’s game against the Dodgers, Baldwin is 4-for-7 with a home run and a 1.714 OPS, Peters has a home run, and Hill has a .556 on-base percentage.
These are obviously incredibly small sample sizes. But if Pereira is going to make the team, he’s going to need to show it in game action — especially with the volume of other outfielders in contention.
Every day that goes by, Everson Pereira becomes more at risk of falling behind in the outfield battle. Should his injury linger, there’s a possibility the White Sox start him on the injured list to begin the regular season as a means of stashing him in the organization — but even that might just be prolonging the inevitable. At some point, he’ll need to be activated off the injured list and placed on the MLB roster if the White Sox want to avoid designating him for assignment. And it may be difficult for the organization to justify that decision if they’ve seen very little of him in game action, or if other viable options emerge.
It’s too early to completely hit the panic button. But the White Sox have a split-squad doubleheader against the Texas Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers on Friday. And if Pereira is not in either one of those starting lineups, there will officially be good reason for concern, in my opinion.