White Sox claim AJ Reed off waivers

The White Sox claimed first baseman AJ Reed off waivers from the Houston Astros and have assigned him to Triple-A Charlotte on Monday. To make room for Reed on the 40-man roster, the White Sox transferred right-handed pitcher Ryan Burr to the 60-day injured list.

Reed, 26, was designated for assignment by Houston on July 2. He has spent the entire 2019 season with Class AAA Round Rock, batting .224/.329/.469 (43-192) with 11 doubles, 12 home runs, 35 RBI and 33 runs scored over 56 games.

The 6-foot-4, 270-pound Reed, who bats and throws left handed, appeared in 48 games over parts of three seasons with the Astros (2016-18), hitting .153 (20-131) with three home runs and eight RBI.

Reed owns a career .282/.374/.540 (611-2,163) average with 135 homers, 478 RBI and 392 runs scored over six minor-league seasons after being selected by the Astros in the second round of the 2014 draft out of the University of Kentucky.

He was named to the Pacific Coast League All-Star Team in 2018 after hitting .255/.344/.506 (118-462) with 28 home runs and 108 RBI over 123 games with Class AAA Fresno. Reed’s 108 RBI led all Triple-A players, and his 28 homers ranked second.

Burr, 25, was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 28 (retroactive to May 25) with a capsule strain in his right elbow after going 1-1 with a 4.58 ERA (10 ER/19.2 IP) and 20 strikeouts over 16 games (one start) with the Sox this season. He underwent Tommy John surgery on June 25 in Los Angeles.

The White Sox 40-man roster remains at 40.