PHOENIX — Pedro Grifol had a phone conversation with Tommy Pham on Wednesday to receive an update on the outfielder’s rehab assignment with the Arizona Complex League White Sox.
“Tommy’s Tommy,” the Chicago White Sox manager said Thursday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. “Great conversation, good energy.”
The Sox will get to insert that energy into the lineup again after reinstating Pham from the 10-day injured list Friday. Pham’s return is one of four roster moves the Sox announced before the series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
The Sox made some changes to their pitching staff, optioning reliever Jordan Leasure to Triple-A Charlotte and selecting the contract of right-hander Chad Kuhl from Charlotte. The Sox also optioned outfielder Zach DeLoach to Charlotte.
Pham retroactively went on the IL on June 3 with a left ankle sprain. He suffered the injury sliding into the plate in the eighth inning a day earlier at Milwaukee, a play that was followed by words being exchanged and Pham being restrained by coaches and teammates.
Pham has been one of the more consistent offensive players for the Sox since signing with the team in April, slashing .280/.331/.402 with seven doubles, three homers, 12 RBIs and 19 runs in 33 games. He appeared in three rehab games with the ACL Sox and was in the leadoff spot and playing right field for the big-league club Friday.
Leasure is 0-2 with a 4.08 ERA, two saves, eight holds and 26 strikeouts in a team-high 30 relief appearances. He had a strong beginning to the season but has struggled this month with a 10.80 ERA in five June outings.
Kuhl is 1-3 with a 4.34 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 13 appearances (11 starts) with Charlotte after joining the Sox organization as a minor-league free agent on Jan. 4. He is 31-45 with a 4.98 ERA, one save, four holds and 536 strikeouts in 143 career appearances (116 starts) during seven major-league seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates (2016-21), Colorado Rockies (2022) and Washington Nationals (2023).
DeLoach is 3-for-22 (.136) with one double and one RBI in his first nine major-league games. He had his first major-league hit on June 6 against the Boston Red Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. He added two hits during the most recent four-game series against the Seattle Mariners, his former organization.