GLENDALE, Ariz. — White Sox outfielder Andrew Vaughn’s hip feels much better than it did when he left a game on a cart Sunday.
“It’s tenfold better,” Vaughn said Wednesday morning after taking some swings in the batting cage at Camelback Ranch. “I was kind of shocked how quick I started to feel better. I thought I’d be on crutches for a week to two weeks. Second day I came in i threw the crutches in the training room and said ‘I’m good.’ ”
Playing right field Sunday, Vaughn dived and caught a ball in the right-center field alley and was taken off on a cart. He and the team feared the worst, but he suffered only a right hip pointer. Not that it was nothing.
“It’s kind of like the worst charley horse you’ve ever had,” Vaughn said. “It kind of sticks around, it’s kind of lingering but it’s going away.
“It was pretty scary. Dove and landed on my hip, thought it was fine, wiggled it around a little bit and took that first step and kind of gave out. My mind went to the worst thoughts but best case of the worst, a hip pointer and I’m up walking around. Feel pretty good now.”
The Sox said Vaughn might return to game action in one to two weeks. Opening Day is next Friday in Detroit. It might be a reach, but Vaughn wouldn’t speculate.
“I’m just looking forward to tomorrow, seeing how I feel the next day,” he said. “[Opening Day] is the hope but you can’t rush things.”
Vaughn stretched with the team on the field Wednesday morning and will continue receiving treatment.
“It’s just a nasty bruise and you have to get rid of the pressure,” he said. “It’s all on feel and I’m feeling really good right now.”
Adam Engel was in the starting lineup for Wednesday’s Cactus League game against the Rangers.
Vaughn converted from first base to left field last season and is expected to see a sizable amount of reps in right field this season.
Here is the Sox lineup Wednesday:
Tim Anderson SS
Luis Robert CF
Jose Abreu 1B
Yasmani Grandal C
Eloy Jimenez LF
Yoan Moncada 3B
Leury Garcia DH
Josh Harrison 2B
Adam Engel RF
Dylan Cease P
