White Sox Send Struggling Andrew Vaughn to Triple-A

In a surprise move, former Cal star Andrew Vaughn, a fixture in the Chicago White Sox lineup since 2021, has been sent down to the Triple-A Charlotte Knights in hopes he will regain his rhythm at the plate.

Vaughn, 27, was slashing .189/.218/.314 through 48 games. His slugging percentage ranked just 161st in the majors.

The first baseman and one-time Silver Slugger award winner at Cal as the nation’s top college player, has just five home runs after hitting 40 the previous two seasons. He has scored only nine runs and driven in 19.

“He’s a guy that needs to drive the baseball, can drive the baseball. So I think he’s actually looking forward to taking a step back, slowing things down,” White Sox manager Chris Getz told reporters Friday. “It’s a different competition level, different environment. Really get to work and not make adjustments at a high level like the Major Leagues.

“Knowing Andrew’s makeup and his determination, he’s going to get down there and get to work,” Getz said. “This really is a good opportunity for him to reclaim the player that we know he can be.”

Vaughn was in the Knights' lineup Saturday against the Round Rock Express, the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate.

Vaughn was the No. 3 pick of the 2019 MLB draft by the White Sox. His early development in the pros was hindered by the pandemic that prompted baseball to shutdown the 2020 minor league season.

He was invited to spring training in 2021, made the MLB roster and saw action in 127 games as the White Sox battled injuries. Over five seasons, Vaughn has played 610 games, batting .248 with 77 home runs and 293 RBI. 

Asked how Vaughn reacted to the news, Getz said, “It was a good conversation. He understood. He mentioned he has been grinding. There are many times this season you felt like it was coming, he was going to break out.”

Vaughn’s teammates were caught off guard by the move.

"it's going to be super weird," left fielder Andrew Benintendi told the website Soxmachine. "He's a proven hitter in this league. Everybody's go through scuffles. I went through four months of it last year hitting below .200. I don't know. That's the business side of it.”

"Sometimes it's just a matter of taking a deep breath and focusing on some simple things. I really don't know,” right fielder Mike Tauchman added. “But I know for me, it was always I wanted to get back in the game as soon as I could. So I'm sure he's frustrated. He's a really good player and I think we're gonna need him at some point this year to help us win a lot of games.”

Jake Burger, who played with Vaughn on the 2021 and ’22 White Sox teams, was in town as a first-year member of the Texas Rangers.

"It's always a good thing to have a little reset to see if he can get back to himself," Burger said. "He was a leader in the clubhouse when I was here. He's the same guy every single day, even keel. He’s an awesome dude and a hard worker. It's a good reset for him and we'll see. He's a stud. I don't expect it to be too long for him.”

Getz said the team sees mechanical adjustments he hopes Vaughn can make at Charlotte. His decision-making at the plate also needs sharpening.

“At this point, we felt like it was necessary to go down there,” Getz said. “We still believe in Andrew Vaughn. He knows he can be a productive Major League player. I imagine he’s going to take advantage of this.”

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