Colson Montgomery Dealing With Injury, Out of White Sox Lineup
The Chicago White Sox will be without their star shortstop for tonight's series opener against the Atlanta Braves.
Colson Montgomery is dealing with back tightness and will get the night off, according to general manager Chris Getz. The White Sox had yesterday off, but Montgomery still experienced enough discomfort to remain out of the lineup.
The good news is Getz did not seem overly concerned. He described the absence as more of a precautionary move and does not expect Montgomery to miss significant time.
Luisangel Acuña will start at shortstop tonight in Montgomery's place and bat seventh in the lineup.
Getz said the starting rotation will have some TBAs for the next week as they try to figure out the best setup. Colson Montgomery getting another recovery day, per Getz.
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) June 9, 2026
Montgomery has emerged as a breakout star in his first full major league season. After arriving in July of last season and hitting 21 home runs in 71 games, Montgomery has proven that performance was no fluke.
This season, he is hitting .225/.322/.479 with an .801 OPS, 16 home runs, 12 doubles, and 38 RBI. His 16 home runs rank 11th in baseball and first among all shortstops.
The White Sox are already without prized offseason signing Munetaka Murakami, who is recovering from a Grade 2 hamstring injury and remains weeks away from returning.
Montgomery and Murakami have spent most of the season hitting in the top four spots of Chicago's lineup. Together, they have formed one of the league's most dangerous power combinations.
The absences of Murakami and Montgomery prompted Chicago to call up another top prospect. Braden Montgomery will make his major league debut tonight and bat sixth.
Braden Montgomery was the key acquisition in the Garrett Crochet trade in December 2024. The 23-year-old ranks as the No. 21 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline.
The White Sox have been one of baseball's biggest surprises this season. They enter tonight with a 34-31 record and sit just 1.5 games behind the Cleveland Guardians for first place in the American League Central.
After losing more than 100 games in each of the past three seasons, Chicago's turnaround ranks among the most impressive in recent memory.
The White Sox face another tough test tonight against the Braves, who own the best record in baseball. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. CT.
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This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 5:30 PM.