After making a headfirst, diving catch in left field Sunday, Tanner Murray had the presence of mind to flip the ball to center fielder Tristan Peters while lying flat on the ground.
“I don’t even remember doing that,” Murray said about 24 hours later.
That’s probably because he was in extreme pain. The White Sox said Monday that Murray dislocated his left shoulder, and manager Will Venable added that he suffered a fracture. He’ll have surgery and miss four to six months.
The Sox put Murray on the 10-day injured list and called up outfielder Austin Hays (strained right hamstring) from his rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte. In his first major-league season, Murray, 26, hit .214 with one home run and three RBI in 13 games.
“I dove for the ball, kinda got stuck on the grass,” Murray said of the play, which ended up being a sacrifice fly that gave the Nationals a 1-0 lead in the 10th inning. “Felt like my arm just kept going and my body didn’t, so my shoulder popped out right when I hit the ground. Just happy I caught it.”
Murray did more damage than the Sox were expecting, and his loss reduces their flexibility. He had played in seven games in left field, three at shortstop and three at third.
“He’s an above-average defender, specifically on the infield,” Venable said. “Though we didn’t expose him much to the infield recently, he did a really nice job in the outfield. His versatility is something we really value.
“And in the dugout and the clubhouse, he’s a great teammate and a great guy to have around. Brings a lot of positive energy to our group, so we’re definitely going to miss that.”
If Murray has his way, he’ll stick around like injured pitcher Mike Vasil, who’s out for the season after having Tommy John surgery.
“I would hope. These guys are awesome,” Murray said. “I’ve been hanging out with them in the couple weeks that I’ve been here. A little 1-2 punch in there [with Vasil].”
Murray doesn’t re
