An Undesired Return: Yoan Moncada to Join White Sox for Series vs. Angels

The Yoan Moncada saga is nearing its end on the South Side but still has a little bit of gas left in the tank. Per multiple reports , the enigmatic third baseman is expected to rejoin the Chicago White Sox for Monday's series opener against the Los Angeles Angels.

Moncada hasn't played in a big-league game since April 9 when he suffered a left adductor strain that wiped out most of what will likely be his last season with the White Sox. The 29-year-old has embarked on multiple rehab assignments with Triple-A Charlotte — a mid-July stint that was shut down due to "anticipated soreness" and a recent stretch that's nearly maxed out per MLB rules .

Acquired in a 2016 trade that sent future Hall of Fame pitcher Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox, Moncada was expected to be a pillar of the White Sox' last rebuild. The Cuban infielder provided sound defense and spurts of offensive production but never blossomed into a true star player due to inconsistency and injuries.

Moncada's latest ailment made him a buried afterthought throughout most of the club's historically bad 2024 season, but his impending return conjures memories of disappointment that defined his White Sox tenure. The South Side faithful seems ready to move on from the "Rebuild 2.0" era (despite the current installment's bleak outlook ) but must endure a few more weeks with a reminder of past failures front and center while the Sox race toward their current barometer of ineptitude: officially recording the worst single-season record in modern MLB history.

Over Chicago's final 12 games, Moncada will get his reps in and perhaps make a few smooth snags at the hot corner while providing competent but unspectacular at-bats. He'll aim to prove to other teams that he's healthy in hopes of landing a contract for next season as the White Sox are expected to exercise a $5 million buyout to escape his $25 million club option for 2025.

The end of the Yoan Moncada saga is near, but it's not here just yet.

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