Braden Montgomery

Analysis
After fracturing his right foot when he was hit by a pitch in a Sept. 6 game, Montgomery finished the season on Double-A Birmingham's 7-day injured list, but he made enough progress in his recovery over the final weeks of the campaign for the White Sox to feel comfortable making him part of their AFL contingent. He was held out for the first two weeks of AFL action while continuing his rehab program before getting the green light to play last week. He doubled in his first at-bat and has shown a keen eye at the plate thus far in Arizona, striking out just three times while drawing seven free passes. Though Montgomery is a long shot to win a spot on the White Sox's Opening Day roster, he'll likely get an invitation to big-league spring training and should have a chance to make his MLB debut at some point in 2026.