<
        >

          Chicago White Sox Report

          White Sox expand September roster by four

          • Doug Padilla, ESPN Staff WriterSep 1, 2015, 09:15 PM
            Close
              Doug covers the Los Angeles Dodgers for ESPN.com. He joined ESPN Chicago in July 2010 and covered the Chicago White Sox for ESPNChicago.com and ESPN Radio 1000 through the 2015 season.
            Follow on X

          CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox on Tuesday used the expanded roster season of September to add four players, three of which are from Triple-A Charlotte.

          As expected, the White Sox added right-handed starter Erik Johnson to the mix, as well as catcher Rob Brantly and utility man Leury Garcia. All three players have major league experience.

          The White Sox also added hard-throwing right-hander Frankie Montas, who posted a 2.97 ERA over 112 innings at Double-A Birmingham, and also participated in the midseason Futures Game at Cincinnati. Montas was on the major league roster for one day earlier this season but did not pitch.

          Johnson and/or Montas could get an opportunity to start over the final 4 1/2 weeks of the season. On Sunday, manager Robin Ventura suggested that he was prepared to give a newcomer starts in September, but declined to specify who it would be.

          Johnson, who was on the White Sox's Opening Day roster last season, was 11-8 with a 2.37 ERA to earn International League pitcher of the year honors. He also started for the International League in the midseason Triple-A All-Star Game against the Pacific Coast League.

          Brantly, who was on the Miami Marlins' Opening Day roster in 2013, will join fell White Sox catchers Tyler Flowers and Geovany Soto after batting a combined .310 with a .335 on-base percentage at both Birmingham and Charlotte.

          Garcia, who has played in all or part of the last three seasons with the White Sox, is coming off a season at Triple-A where he batted .298 with a .340 on-base percentage, while stealing 30 bases.

          "Some of them have already been here and you want to see exactly if they were here before, you want to see where they're at right now," Ventura said Sunday. "If you haven't see them, you want to see them and where they're at. September is for that. You want some depth but mostly you want to see these guys up here and playing."

          Ventura also suggested there could be a second wave of callups in the coming days, but it didn't sound like it would be any more than one or two players if it happens.

          "There might be a (second) wave," Ventura said. "Just a passer-by."