GLENDALE, Ariz. — In what was becoming apparent in the final week of camp, catcher Max Stassi will open the season on the injured list and Korey Lee will be on the White Sox’ Opening Day roster.
Stassi, 33, acquired in the offseason to complement another veteran acquisition, Martin Maldonado, did not play last season for family reasons and because of an oblique injury, hasn’t caught in a Cactus League game since Wednesday, two days after his previous appearance. Left hip inflammation is the reason for his going on the IL, the team announced.
Lee, 25, earned the nod by showing well defensively after he came to the team in a trade with the Astros for Kendall Graveman last season and by having a good spring offensively. After going 5-for-65 last season, he batted .286/.382/.714 with three homers in 18 games this spring.
“I can’t say enough about what he’s done this spring,” manager Pedro Grifol, a former minor league catcher, said. “He came in focused, hungry and made a ton of improvements everywhere, every single part of the game. Asked for work in offense defense you name it. He’s hungrier for information, so he’s going to get a crack at it.
Stassi, who dealt with a left hip injury last season, is eligible to be reinstated from the IL on April 4.
“When Stassi is ready to go we’ll see what happens,” Grifol said.