White Sox Make Roster Decision Before Twins Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nicholas Covone | Last updated May 25, 2026 1:20 PM ET

The Chicago White Sox are turning to their farm system to try and get the team back on track following two straight series losses, hoping that a player from within can steady the team's inconsistent play.

The White Sox officially reported Monday morning that they are calling up Japanese utility man Rikuu Nishida to make his major league debut against the Minnesota Twins. He will be batting eighth and playing right field.

Hailing from Osake, Japan, the 25-year-old never played in Nippon Professional Baseball like his new teammate, Munetaka Murakami, but he was selected by the White Sox in the 11th round of the 2023 MLB draft.

Through 33 games in Triple-A this season, Nishida is slashing an impressive .347/.454/.395. While Nishida does not bring much power to the big-league club, he gets on base at an impressive rate.

pic.twitter.com/RnakjkfyDz
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 25, 2026

Speed is also an important part of the rookie’s game. He has stolen 110 bases on 140 attempts during his minor-league career. The White Sox rank middle of the pack in stolen bases and near the bottom in batting average, so Nishida’s blend of speed and contact should give the lineup a much needed boost.

Nishida has become a highly touted player from inside the organization. Director of Player Development, Paul Janish, praised Nishida for performance on the field and positive impact he has on his teammates.

"He’s one of the best baseball players that we have in our organization. He is contagious in the best way. The players around him get better, the teams that he is on win. It’s really hard for me to express how much I think of Rikuu as a player,” Janish said (h/t Scott Merkin of MLB.com).

Janish on Nishida: "He’s one of the best baseball players that we have in our organization. He is contagious in the best way. The players around him get better, the teams that he is on win. It’s really hard for me to express how much I think of Rikuu as a player."
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) May 25, 2026

Outfielder Jarred Kelenic was designated for assignment in a corresponding move. Kelenic was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 2018 draft, where he quickly became one of the league's top prospects. Unfortunately, Kelenic has not lived up to expectations during his major-league career, slashing .211/.283/.374 over 426 games.

According to Baseball Savant, Kelenic average exit velocity and barrel percentage rank among the league leaders. While he has not lived up to his No. 3 ranked prospect potential, he will almost certainly get another opportunity to reach the big leagues with another organization.

The White Sox did not come into the 2026 MLB season with high expectations following three straight 100+ loss seasons. The organization had a sneaky impressive offseason by signing Murakami and closer Seranthony Domínguez.

Along with some impressive breakout seasons, the White Sox currently sit at .500, 52 games into the season and second place in the American League Central Division. The call up of Nishida could be the spark that the team needs to push them over the edge.

Nishida makes his major-league debut in Chicago on Memorial Day at 1:10 P.M. CTpm vs. the division rival Minnesota Twins.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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