Chicago White Sox catcher Yermin Mercedes (73) practices before the game against the Detroit Tigers at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports

White Sox rookie Yermin Mercedes returns to Triple-A one day after stepping away from baseball

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 7/23/21

One day after announcing he was stepping away from baseball , Yermin Mercedes was back with the Chicago White Sox's Triple-A affiliate on Thursday.

In his latest Instagram post, the slugger apologized for giving up and asked fans for forgiveness.

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White Sox manager Tony La Russa vowed after Wednesday's loss to reach out to Mercedes, and insisted the player has a "big league future," according to ESPN.

Mercedes was one of the best players in baseball through the first few weeks of the 2021 season. After hitting .415/.455/.659 through the end of April with five home runs and 34 hits in 22 games, he was named AL Rookie of the Month.

However, he quickly cooled off, hitting .159/.221/.190 in 18 games last month, before being demoted to Triple-A on July 2.

It's unclear if there's a road back to the big leagues for Mercedes this season. If another White Sox player is hit with an injury, maybe he'll get another chance to prove he belongs in Chicago.

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