In a smaller surprise, Marcus Semien is a major leaguer

The number of reigning Southern League MVPs who have opened the next season in the major league is likely not especially small. The number of reigning Southern League MVPs who have opened the next season in the majors after the incumbent in front of them was injured...is probably small since this is now a rare set of simultaneous circumstances but the point is, for all the accolades and accomplishments Semien has racked up while flying through the minor leagues, he puts the White Sox in what has become a rare position recently.

They have an injured starter (in this case Gordon Beckham, who will be out all of a handful of days) and they have a minor leaguer who is ostensibly qualified to serve as a replacement. Being unable to provide a minor league replacement has a brought the Chicago baseball world Orlando Hudson, Ray Olmedo, and it is probably going to bring it Hector Gimenez again at some point this year.

Opening week will allow the White Sox a brief respite from having to decide between Semien as a superior utility and third base platoon option to Leury Garcia, and Semien working full-time in Triple-A to become a permanent replacement.

A decision is probably necessary, since Jeff Keppinger has no scheduled return date and the Sox actually playing well could make this issue quite nuanced.

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