CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox announced Thursday that speedy infielder Leury Garcia was being called up to the major league club and was available to play against the Kansas City Royals.
Acquired Aug. 9 as the player to be named later in the trade that sent Alex Rios to the Texas Rangers, the 22-year-old Garcia has 25 games of major league experience, all earlier this season with the Rangers. He played in eight games at Triple-A Charlotte after he was acquired.
The White Sox opened a roster spot after Wednesday's game at Kansas City when outfielder Blake Tekotte was optioned back to Charlotte.
Void of team speed, the White Sox have that now in Garcia, who was considered by Baseball America at the start of the season to possess the best speed in the Rangers' system. The same publication also said Garcia had the best infield arm among farm hands.
The 5-foot-7, 160-pounder batted just .192 (10-for-52) in his brief early-season stint with the Rangers, scoring eight runs. He made nine of his 11 starts with the Rangers at second base, but has played 402 of his 483 minor league games at shortstop and has some center field experience as well. He had 158 steals in the minor leagues.
Garcia, who will wear uniform No. 28 with the White Sox, has been successful on 78.6 percent of his steal attempts in the minor leagues and stole at least 30 bases in each of his previous three seasons, including 51 steals in 2010.
Garcia and Rios are poised to square off on opposing sides this weekend, when the Rangers arrive at U.S. Cellular Field on Friday to open a three-game series. The Rangers’ A.J. Pierzynski will also be making his return to the South Side.
