‘I’m back’: Yermín Mercedes is in uniform for the Chicago White Sox’s Triple-A affiliate a day after hinting at retirement
A day after indicating he might step away from baseball, Yermín Mercedes was in uniform Thursday and on the active roster for the Chicago White Sox Triple-A affiliate Charlotte.
“I love everybody,” Mercedes wrote on Instagram Thursday. “I’m Back.”
The caption in Spanish translates to: “I’m never going to give up. I lasted 10 years in the minor league. I have always understood that the process is great but the talent & what I have shown speak for themselves. With the greatest humility I am speaking from the heart. My dream is to be an established player in the major leagues.”
Mercedes earned American League Rookie of the Month honors in April. He struggled in the next two months and was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte on July 2.
An image reading “it’s over” was posted on Mercedes’ Instagram account Wednesday with a caption in Spanish, part of which translates to “I am away from baseball indefinitely.” The caption on the since-deleted photo ended with “it’s over” in English.
Mercedes went 0-for-2 Wednesday for the Charlotte Knights before exiting the game.
In a statement Wednesday night, the Sox said they were aware of the initial post and had not “received any official notification from Yermín concerning his future plans.” Mercedes also deleted all of his Instagram photos that showed him with the White Sox.
Thursday, the Sox provided Mercedes’ updated status before the Knights’ game against the Durham Bulls.
After Wednesday’s game, Sox manager Tony La Russa said he planned to reach out to Mercedes.
“Just kind of understand you get to Triple A and had a taste of the big league, you can get emotional, and I don’t know more than that,” La Russa said. “Probably going to reach out to him. As you probably know, several times he said how close we are. He knows I’m a supporter of his. So I’ll reach out to him and see what’s going on. It could be he’s just feeling frustrated.
“I’ll try to explain to him he’s got a big-league future.”
Asked if he has seen a similar scenario to that, La Russa said, “A whole bunch of times.”
“You go to Triple A, even in as great of a situation as in Charlotte, it’s an adjustment,” he said. “You’ve got to figure out a way to tough it out. I’ve been around a long time and it’s happened more than two handfuls. Every one is an individual situation. In every case, you get involved and you talk. You always try to build a relationship, just like I have one with him.”
Mercedes, 28, was one of the best stories in baseball early this season, becoming the first player since at least 1900 to begin a season with eight consecutive hits. He had a .415/.455/.659 slash line in April while serving as the Sox’s regular designated hitter to earn the AL rookie honor.
But those numbers dropped to .221/.292/.326 in 28 May games, which included a much-discussed conversation on baseball’s “unwritten rules” after La Russa took exception when Mercedes swung and homered in the ninth inning on a 47 mph, 3-0 pitch from Minnesota Twins utility player Willians Astudillo.
He slashed .159/.221/.190 in 18 June games before he was sent down. Overall Mercedes slashed .271/.328/.404 with seven home runs and 37 RBIs in 68 games with the Sox.
“He’s a talented guy,” La Russa said Wednesday. “He earned a spot on the roster, then he earned all those at-bats. And he ran into — this happens often to rookies — there’s so much video and tape and they start making adjustments. You have to learn how to adjust back. I know the stroke he showed early and when his head is on the ball and he’s not getting too big, he can make those adjustments and hit in the big leagues.
“I know they are working him as a catcher. If he can pick up experience of calling a game, he has really good hands and a very strong arm. He has all the physical talents you want. He’s also a good enough athlete to play other positions.”
In 15 games with Charlotte, Mercedes has a .298/.365/.632 slash line with four home runs and 10 RBIs.
