As the Chicago White Sox get closer to full health, outfielder Derek Hill is running out of time to secure his place on the roster.
For weeks now, we've been talking about the difficult decision the Chicago White Sox will have to make in the outfield once the roster gets fully healthy.
It's already a crowded group, and while breakout performers like Tristan Peters and Randal Grichuk have been a saving grace, they also make it difficult to keep everyone involved once Chicago gets back to full strength.
Austin Hays was on the cusp of returning from a calf strain before the White Sox pulled him from his rehab stint due to another setback.
Everson Pereira is still recovering from a right pectoral strain, but he'll bring some right-handed power to the equation when he returns.
Then, of course, there's Braden Montgomery looming in the minor leagues. Montgomery is in Triple-A Charlotte with a .300 batting average and .832 OPS in 25 games and 100 at-bats. It may still be a month or so away, but Montgomery's MLB debut is coming in 2026, and when it gets here, he too will displace another White Sox outfielder.
Luisangel Acuña will almost certainly be the first to go. That's been a given for a while now.
Rikuu Nishida could also probably go back to the minor leagues if he doesn't start providing something offensively. He's hitting .208 with a .416 OPS in a 24 at-bat sample size.
That's where it gets hard.
So many different White Sox players have carved out roles for themselves and contributed to this team. Losing any of them, especially those without minor league options, would be tough to reconcile. Hence the difficult decision for Chris Getz and company.
At this rate, though, the problem may be sorting itself out.
As aforementioned standouts Peters and Grichuk have shined and demanded more playing time, outfielder Derek Hill has fallen into a slump while settling into a more inconsistent role.
Hill's last hit came on May 24 against the Giants. Over his last six appearances, he is 0-for-9 with four strikeouts. The less he plays, the more he struggles, and that problem may only get worse as the White Sox add outfielders to the roster who will cut in front of him on the depth chart.
Hill is mostly used as a pinch hitter against left-handed pitching and as a late-game defensive replacement. That role becomes less essential if both Hays and Grichuk, who have historically hit lefties well, are on the roster and Braden Montgomery is getting regular time in right field.
While Hill is a talented defender and has the ability to play center field, I don't see Chicago cutting into Tristan Peters' playing time right now.
There could still be plenty of time before the White Sox are forced to make a decision, and Hill will have more opportunities to prove his worth and stick around for the long haul. But if push comes to shove and there are three outfielders on their way out, Derek Hill could be the player who's currently playing his way off the roster with his recent offensive slump.
