10:05PM: Grandal is day-to-day with the injury, as manager Tony La Russa told The Athletic’s James Fegan (Twitter links) and other reporters that the Sox will monitor Grandal’s condition to determine if an IL placement is eventually necessary, or if another roster move is necessary to get another catcher on the roster. For now, the plan seems to be for Collins to start tomorrow’s game and Danny Mendick to act as the emergency catcher. Zavala left tonight’s Triple-A game, so he is likely to at least be added to Chicago’s taxi squad.
8:49PM: White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal left tonight’s game due to left calf tightness, the team announced. It isn’t yet clear when the calf issue surfaced for Grandal, as was replaced behind the plate by Zack Collins prior to the bottom of the fifth inning, more than two innings as Grandal’s last at-bat (he struck out to end the top of the third).
Between that strikeout and a single in his first plate appearance, Grandal’s slash line now sits .190/.388/.441 through 243 plate appearances. Despite the lack of batting average, Grandal still has a 135 wRC+ due to his power (14 homers) and his exceptional on-base skills. Grandal’s 59 walks ranks second among all players, as the Rangers’ Joey Gallo leads baseball with 63 free passes, though Gallo has the benefit of 80 more plate appearances than the Chicago catcher.
It isn’t yet known if Grandal will be placed on the injured list, though such a move would leave the White Sox without yet another key bat. Luis Robert, Eloy Jimenez, Adam Engel, and Jake Lamb are all on the IL, while Nick Madrigal has been lost for season after hamstring surgery. Yoan Moncada also suffered a bruised hand while sliding into third base yesterday, and will miss at least Chicago’s current three-game series with the Tigers while recovering.
Collins figures to get the majority of starts at catcher if Grandal is sidelined, and Collins took an above-average 106 wRC+ (and .236/.333/.400 slash line in 127 PA) into tonight’s game with Detroit. Yermin Mercedes has played two games at catcher this season, and Seby Zavala is also available at Triple-A.