ARLINGTON -- The White Sox selected Trayce Thompson with the 61st pick overall in the second round of the 2009 Draft, coming 38 selections after taking outfielder Jared Mitchell with their first-round choice.

A guy named Mike Trout also went 25th overall in that same Draft to the Angels. Fourteen years later, with the 32-year-old playing center field for the White Sox in their 5-3 loss to the Rangers Thursday afternoon at Globe LIfe Field, Thompson felt just like that draftee once again.

“It’s the only thing I can compare it to,” said Thompson, who has eight home runs in 93 games with the White Sox. “I’m really excited, and now it’s time to help these guys win some games. Still feels surreal to me.”

Thompson began a third stint with the White Sox after returning from his injury rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Charlotte Thursday and being reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Thompson was placed on the injured list June 4 with a strained left oblique when he was with the Dodgers.

Los Angeles traded Thompson with right-handed pitchers Nick Nastrini and Jordan Leasure to the White Sox on July 28 in exchange for starter Lance Lynn and reliever Joe Kelly. The focus of the trade falls upon Nastrini, the No. 5 prospect in the White Sox system, and Leasure, the No. 27 prospect, per MLB Pipeline.

But in this current reshape or rebuild being employed by the White Sox, a high-character player such as Thompson matters in the equation. General manager Rick Hahn brought up that point after the deal was announced.

“Character always matters: makeup, fight, energy, desire,” Hahn said. “How you treat each other, teammates, how you accept differences within the different cultures that you deal with in the clubhouse matters. So it’s always part of our analysis. At this deadline, we’re trying to acquire as much as we can for the organization that fits with that.

“Frankly, when you’re moving veteran guys and we’re calling up young guys to fill the spot, the deals are as much about building for the future as they are about doing something for that [White Sox clubhouse] right now. Trayce helps with that, absolutely. He’s a pro, and it was good to reconnect with him.”

This 2023 season has been as rough for Thompson as it has been for the White Sox (43-67), who lost for a fourth straight time overall, sixth straight time on the road and fell to 6-18 in their last 24 games played. Thompson finished 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Max Scherzer’s Texas debut, although he reached first against Aroldis Chapman in the eighth off a wild pitch on a swinging third strike, and is hitting .147 with five homers, 14 RBIs and 12 runs scored over 37 games.

Thompson hit three homers with eight RBIs in his first game of the season against the Diamondbacks. Injury rehab allowed Thompson to re-evaluate everything and find his rhythm at the plate, leaving him “in a decent spot” as he re-joins the White Sox.

As far as his leadership qualities, Thompson puts a high premium on being a good teammate. He has met quite a few mentors over stops with five teams, including both Chicago squads, but pointed to José Abreu as a special guiding force in 2015 and ‘18 on the South Side.

“His work ethic is second to none,” said Thompson of Abreu. “There’s a lot of stuff that people don’t see about him that is super admirable, and [he is] just a really good human being. He cares, plays hard [and] wants to play every single day. ...

“Great dude, great human being, great teammate. Amazing player. Hopefully his number gets retired by the White Sox when it’s all said and done. He was the guy, from Day 1, from the day he signed with the White Sox to now, whenever I see him it’s like seeing an idol. I was happy and privileged to be his teammate and lucky to call him a friend.”

Everyday play won’t be on the agenda for Thompson. But his versatility and presence will help the White Sox in the final two months of this season. 

“I’m happy to join this group and this new staff and see a lot of familiar faces as well,” Thompson said. “I’m excited to get going.”