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While the Chicago White Sox lost an infielder Monday, they were able to pick up a left-handed pitcher. Third baseman Brent Morel was picked up off waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays, but the White Sox were able to add left-hander Eric Surkamp on a waiver claim from the San Francisco Giants. Surkamp posted a 2.80 ERA in 16 starts between Class A San Jose and Triple-A Fresno in 2013 after returning from ulnar collateral ligament replacement surgery in 2012. He made one start for the Giants in August. Since the start of the 2011 season, he has gone 2-3 with a 7.36 ERA in seven major league starts. One season before he was injured, Surkamp was 11-4 with a 1.94 ERA in 24 appearances (23 starts) between the Class A and Double-A levels. A native of Cincinnati, the 26-year-old was a sixth-round draft pick by the Giants in 2008 out of North Carolina State. Morel has played sparingly on the major league level the past two seasons after getting a crack at the starting third-base job with the White Sox in 2011. He batted .245 with a .366 slugging percentage in 413 at-bats in 2011, with 10 home runs and 41 RBIs. Limited by a back issue that first surfaced in 2012, Morel batted .181 with a .196 slugging percentage in 138 at-bats for the White Sox the past two seasons.
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