Chicago White Sox

Chicago White Sox

Screenshot CBS News foreign correspondent Chris Livesay gifted Pope Leo XIV a prized baseball bat once owned by a Chicago White Sox legend. On Thursday, Livesay was aboard the papal plane for a trip to Turkey. In a video posted online, Livesay explained his plan to give the Pope a special bat that had been in his family's possession for years. The bat, he revealed, once belonged to star second baseman Nellie Fox.

The 27-year-old backstop was drafted by Pittsburgh in 2017. He hit the ground running as a professional, putting up above-average offensive performances in each of his three minor league seasons in the Pirates' system. Sabol reached Triple-A in 2022, slashing .296/.426/.543 over a brief 25-game sample. Sabol was selected by Cincinnati in the Rule 5 draft following the 2022 season.

The White Sox announced that left-hander Martín Pérez has declined his end of a $10MM mutual option for 2026. He will take a $1.5MM buyout and return to free agency. The Sox also announced that they triggered their club option on outfielder Luis Robert Jr., a decision that was previously reported. Pérez, 35 in April, is coming off a mostly lost season.

Liam Hendriks' long stint on the injured list has now been extended by forearm tightness, Red Sox manager told the Boston Globe's Tim Healey and other reporters. This setback has halted Hendriks' throwing and has likely ended his season after 14 games and 13 2/3 innings at the big league level. Forearm issues aren't a good sign for a pitcher who missed all of the 2024 season due to a Tommy John surgery,

As a result, the White Sox could suddenly be willing to spend as much as $450 million on a blockbuster contract signing, though stealing Tucker from the Cubs is still probably a long shot.