The Chicago White Sox have another hole to fill in their lineup after placing infielder Miguel Vargas on the 10-day injured list Friday with a left hand sprain.

“No break or fracture, just strain,” manager Will Venable said before Friday’s game against the New York Yankees at Rate Field. “So he’ll rehab over these next few days.

“Obviously we put him on the IL, but hopeful that after his 10 days that he’s close and has progressed to the point where we can activate him.”

Vargas is aiming to return “soon.”

“I prayed for it to not have anything broken and be able to be here,” Vargas said. “I guess it’s good news and hopefully I’ll be back soon.”

For the time being, the Sox are without Vargas and Luis Robert Jr. The center fielder went on the IL on Wednesday with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain.

The Sox did see Colson Montgomery return to action Friday after missing two games with left side soreness.

“Excited about Colson being back out there,” Venable said. “He’s in a good spot, excited to be out there. He’s one of our guys, and when you’re down (Robert), you’re down (Vargas), just to have a guy out there with power and physicality like Colson does, it’s nice.”

Vargas suffered the injury in the fifth inning of Thursday’s game against the Yankees while receiving a throw on a bounce at first base. The ball and Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge arrived at the same time, leading to a collision. Vargas immediately fell to the ground in pain.

“It looked serious,” Venable said. “I think it was serious, obviously not to the point that he broke it. But you just never know, and that’s why we go through the process and do everything we can to evaluate him.

“He was great with all of it. The medical staff did a great job. So we’re happy with the result.”

Vargas said Friday that he felt “way better than what it was last night.”

“Hopefully next week I’ll be able to swing and move, everything back,” he said.

White Sox first baseman Miguel Vargas hits a grand slam in the second inning against the Yankees on Aug. 28, 2025, at Rate Field. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Vargas is slashing .234/.315/.404 with 30 doubles, 14 home runs, 52 RBIs and 69 runs in 121 games. He hit a game-tying grand slam in the second inning Thursday in the 10-4 loss.

“He has grown a lot from last year,” Robert said through an interpreter. “I always knew the talent that he had. Only for him, he wasn’t able to do it before. But this year, the production has been there. He was having a good season.

“I still believe in him. He can do even more.”

Vargas said he’s learned “a lot” about himself in 2025.

“It’s a long season,” Vargas said. “It’s the first time I’ve played a full season in the big leagues. It’s a lot of ups and downs, a lot of emotions. For me, it’s been a great run, especially with this group.

“I cannot be more proud of a group of guys than this one. Hopefully we’ll be back here next year too.”

For now, Vargas is focused on recovering as quickly as possible to aid the Sox down the stretch.

“I think as far as just being in the spot where he can get a bat in his hands, see what that looks like over the next few days, then we’ll do everything we can to challenge him and get him up to speed where he can use his hand in his swing as if nothing is wrong,” Venable said.

“So we’ll do everything we can to get him there. And then hopefully with what we can do with (the) Trajekt (machine), if he has to do a rehab assignment, whatever that might look like, you hope he gets his timing back and probably won’t activate him until he can get there.”

In Friday’s corresponding move, the Sox recalled first baseman Tim Elko from Triple-A Charlotte. Elko has a .292/.361/.575 slash line with 24 home runs and 64 RBIs in 82 games with the Knights. He has appeared in 20 games over three stints this season with the Sox, hitting .145 (9-for-62) with four home runs and eight RBIs.

Welcome back

The Sox announced 2020 American League MVP José Abreu will throw a ceremonial first pitch Sept. 19 at Rate Field. Abreu spent the first nine seasons of his 11-year major-league career with the Sox, earning AL Rookie of the Year in 2014 and MVP honors in 2020.

“He has been an influential person ever since I came here,” Robert said. “It’s good to be around him.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/29/chicago-white-sox-miguel-vargas-injured-list/