Aches and Pains

What, me worry? Colson Montgomery is supposed to be part of the White Sox rebuild, only A) he can’t play because of injury and B) he can’t hit when he does play. The 23-year old shortstop has played in all of three games this spring, with one hit in seven at-bats. The problem? Back spasms, or so they say. Montgomery was limited to 64 games in 2023, also due to back problems. Either the Sox can’t scout healthy players, or they can’t keep players healthy. Neither possibility says anything good about the organization. And, yes, this is where the cranky old baseball fan says, “There are too many injuries. It’s all because of guys bulking up.” Maybe I’m right, maybe not. In a way, I see the Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong as the canary in the coal mine here. PCA strikes me as a real throwback to when the leadoff hitter had speed first, power later if at all; the guy strikes me as scary fast. I just want to see how many games he can play. I don’t mean this out of any South Side sour grapes. I just wonder if the Cubs employ a different training/conditioning regimen for their players or if there’s something special about this particular player. Is it possible PCA doesn’t hit the weight room the way other players do? Could Chris Getz and the Sox learn something? Perish the thought.