White Sox GM Hahn Details Garcia Injury: 'Lousy Day'
(CBS) In an interview with the Boers and Bernstein Show on Thursday afternoon, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn called outfielder Avisail Garcia's season-ending torn labrum a "lousy" development and added there was no option other than to shut him down for the season.
"Initially, the thought was perhaps rehab was the way to go," Hahn said. "Unfortunately, this specific injury, this specific tear of the labrum does have some bone involvement. So that needs to be reattached and no amount of rehabilitation is going to solve that. You have to go into (surgery) to make that heal properly."
Rick Hahn on The Boers and Bernstein Show
Garcia suffered the torn labrum in his left shoulder Wednesday when he tried to make a diving catch in the sixth inning of a loss to the Rockies. He's going to have surgery within the next week, according to the team.
The 22-year-old Garcia was hitting .267 with two homers, four RBIs and six runs in eight games, and he was expected to be a cornerstone of the White Sox this season.
"This is a lousy day," Hahn said. "This stinks for Avi. This stinks for White fans who are going to be deprived of seeing this kid.
"It's tough. This guy wants to be great. That's one of the things that makes him special. That's what makes us optimistic and very excited about his future ... He'll be up to this challenge that lies ahead."
The White Sox called up Jordan Danks from Triple-A Charlotte to replace Garcia. Danks will battle Dayan Viciedo for the extra playing time now available.
"There's an opportunity here to get Danks regular work, to see exactly what he is," Hahn said. "He has shown, certainly in spring training this year and flashes at the big league level … that he has the ability to be an everyday player, that he's closed up some of those important holes in his swing that took a couple years to iron out. And now we have an opportunity to play him on a regular basis.
"At the same time, Viciedo … has shown that when you talk to him … that he's getting it. That he understands what (the coaches) are trying to convey to him. He understands he wasn't complying with (their knowledge) in the past and what he needs to do to maximize his performance going forward. It gives him a chance at age 25 to show that he can convert on that knowledge."
