Seby Zavala promoted, Gavin Sheets demoted as Charlotte Knights start series Tuesday

Catcher Seby Zavala made his first Major League appearance for the Chicago White Sox on Sunday after being called up earlier in the weekend.

He came off the bench Sunday as a pinch hitter for Reese McGuire, going 0-for-1 and registering an RBI sacrifice fly in Chicago’s 8-6, 12-inning loss to the Texas Rangers.

He was called up after White Sox starting catcher Yasmani Grandal was forced to exit Saturday’s game with an apparent injury. Grandal ran up the first base line after hitting a single, but grabbed his left hamstring and left the game.

Zavala, 28, ranks fourth in the International League with a .931 OPS and has eight home runs so far this season. He’s not the lone Charlotte Knights player to be called up to the big leagues.

Pitcher Jimmy Lambert, 27, was promoted to the White Sox on Friday. In five starts with Charlotte, Lambert has a 9.24 ERA in 12.2 IP. This is his third trip to the majors. He entered Saturday’s game for Chicago and pitched 2.2 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out two.

The Knights did get reinforcements with the additions of Davis Martin and Xavier Fernandez. Martin started for Charlotte on Friday and pitched five innings, allowing just two runs.

Fernandez, who was called up from Double-A Birmingham, is a catcher and first baseman. He was hitting .311 for the Barons before his promotion and has one hit in his first 10 Triple-A at-bats.

KNIGHTS-JUMBO SHRIMP SERIES AT A GLANCE

The Knights have six games against the Jumbo Shrimp, all at Truist Field. Jacksonville (32-28) ranks fourth in the International League and is 12 games ahead of Charlotte. The two teams will play Tuesday through Sunday.

The teams last matched up in the last week of April, with Charlotte winning the last game of the series on May 1 to split the series at three games each.

Both teams enter this week’s series on a win streak, with the Jumbo Shrimp having won three straight, and the Knights two in a row.

Jacksonville Player to Watch

Charles Leblanc

The 26-year-old third baseman in his 52 games with the Jumbo Shrimp. He’s getting on base over 37 percent of the time and has a .852 OPS. He dominated Charlotte on April 30, hitting two home runs in a 5-1 Jacksonville win.

Charlotte Players to Watch

Romy Gonzalez

Gonzalez, the No. 7 prospect in the Chicago farm system according to MLB.com, has struggled with Charlotte. In 26 games, he’s struck out 35 times and has just a .215 batting average. He went 4-for-20 in the team’s most recent series against Louisville.

He did not play in the last matchup between these two teams due to an injury.

Gavin Sheets

Sheets thrived for Charlotte a year ago, hitting .295 and smashing eleven home runs in just 60 games. He played 44 games in the majors this season and hit just .204. After being optioned back to Charlotte, he’s had a quiet first two games, going 0-for-9.

He’ll look for his first hit and more against the Jumbo Shrimp.

Mike Wright

The baseball road for Wright seems to always lead him back in Charlotte. The 32-year-old pitched well for the Knights in 2020, but he left in free agency for the Dodgers. Los Angeles released Wright earlier this season, and he’s now back with the Knights.

Wright has made two starts for Charlotte, combining for 11 innings and allowing just four runs. While his 3.27 ERA isn’t gaudy, it’s a welcome sight for a Charlotte team that’s at the bottom of the International League standings with a 5.94 ERA.

International League East Standings

This story was originally published June 14, 2022 at 6:21 AM.