The Danny Mendick Era begins

Popular favorite: Danny Mendick tore it up in spring training and had a monster 2019 at Charlotte. Now, he’s a major leaguer. | Kim Contreras/South Side Sox

Mighty mite superutilityman gets a month to set himself up for a role in 2020

Hey, how about that, just six months since Danny Mendick tore up the Cactus League, he’s getting his first call-up to the majors!

True to Rick Renteria’s prediction that there would be few September call-ups this season — the last before September call-up restrictions take place in 2020 — just four total players were added upon the disappointing conclusion to Charlotte’s season yesterday.

Joining first-timer Mendick are Dylan Covey, Daniel Palka and Zack Collins.

Collins spoke to the media before Tuesday’s game at Cleveland:

Jon Jay was also transferred to the 60-day injured list, which officially punches his bus ticket back to the 305.

The 25-year-old Mendick hit.279/.368/.444 with 26 doubles, 17 home runs, 64 RBIs, 75 runs and 66 walks in 133 games with Charlotte. He was a true Swiss army knife, playing 48 times at second base, 42 at shortstop, 35 at third and nine in left. He takes uniform No. 20, last worn by José Rondón, who scored the run that eliminated Mendick’s Knights from wild-card contention on Monday.

Covey was 2-1 with a 2.82 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 13 games (11 starts) with Charlotte in 2019. With the White Sox this season, Covey is 1-7 with a 6.88 ERA in 16 games (10 starts), and now carries a White Sox (and MLB career) record of 6-28 into September.

Collins, the White Sox’s first round (No. 10 overall) pick in 2016, hit .282/.403/.548 with 19 doubles, 19 home runs, 74 RBIs and 56 runs over 88 games. If he’d met the required PAs with Charlotte, his .951 OPS would have ranked third in the International League. The DH/1B/C appeared in nine games with the White Sox during his first major-league stint in June-July, going 2-for-26 (.077) while mostly watching Welington Castillo catch, James McCann DH and Yonder Alonso play first base.

Palka hit .263/.374/.527 (104-395) with 23 doubles, 27 homers (sixth in the IL), 72 RBIs, 83 runs and 72 walks in 106 games with the Knights in 2019. After hitting 27 homers as a White Sox rookie in 2018, Palka struggled mightily in 2019, going 1-for-45 (.022) during two stints with the team this season.

Jay was plagued by a hip injury this spring after signing as a free agent in the offseason. He will undergo season-ending right hip surgery on Thursday after hitting .267/.311/.315 in 47 games this season. Believe it or not, that makes his performance on-field far more successful than his off-field work; Jay was signed primarily to team with fellow Miamian and Manny Machado friend Alonso to encourage the superstar to sign in Chicago. Instead, both Jay and Alonso extolled the virtues of San Diego, which helped push the third baseman to sign with the Padres.

It is safe to say Jay will not be receiving a personal services contract offer from the White Sox once his playing days are through.