(670 The Score) White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet has avoided serious injury in his throwing arm, as he was diagnosed with a flexor strain after MRI tests revealed a clean ulnar collateral ligament, general manager Rick Hahn said Monday.
The White Sox's first-round pick in June, the 21-year-old Crochet is expected to be fine for spring training in February. He left the team's season-ending loss in the playoffs on Oct. 1 with forearm tightness in his left arm after seeing a dip in pitching velocity.
"No issues there," Hahn said. "We expect him to continue to progress and feel fine in a matter of weeks and be without restrictions come spring. That was a little bit scary for all of us.
"All things considered, that was about as good of a result as we could've hoped for here."
Crochet threw six scoreless innings with eight strikeouts in the regular season. He was called up by the White Sox in September, only three months after being drafted No. 11 overall by the team. Crochet was the first player from the 2020 draft class to reach the big leagues.
White Sox second baseman Nick Madrigal underwent a planned surgical procedure on his left shoulder to repair a separation that he suffered in early August. The timetable for a recovery can range from five to six months, Hahn said, meaning Madrigal could be slowed to open spring training next February.
The 23-year-old Madrigal suffered the injury when he slid into third base on Aug. 4. A 2018 first-round pick, Madrigal hit .340 during his rookie season.
"It's conceivable that when we get to spring training, that he's still on a rehab program," Hahn said. "But we won't know about that until we get a bit closer."
White Sox left fielder Eloy Jimenez was diagnosed with a sprained right foot after follow-up evaluations after the season.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
