Ahead of the White Sox's Friday night matchup against the Rays, the team called up Tommy Pham, the veteran center fielder they signed to a minor-league contract on April 16.
In reciprocating moves, they optioned center fielder Dominic Fletcher to Triple-A Charlotte and designated left-handed pitcher Bailey Horn and outfielder Kevin Pillar for assignment. Alongside Pham, they also called up Rafael Ortega.
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"Glad to be back in the big leagues," Pham told reporters on Friday. "There were some guys that were trying to make a video last night. You know how they're doing the new videos for the guys who get called up? They were trying to do that for me because I never got one. So, here I am."
Chris Getz told reporters Pham and Ortega are both in the mix to cover center field until Luis Robert Jr. returns from the injured list. Pham got the first start on Friday, taking center field and the second spot in the batting order.
Pham, 36, has played 10 seasons in the major leagues, most recently with the Diamondbacks and Mets in 2023. He played 50 games with the Diamondbacks in 2023, batting .241 with six home runs and 32 RBIs. He finished the season between both teams with a .774 OPS, too.
The Cardinals drafted Pham in the 16th round of the 2006 MLB Draft. He played his first four seasons in St. Louis, earning the 11th-most MVP votes in 2017.
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Pham played under Josh Barfield in Arizona, then the Diamondbacks' director of player development, and now the Sox's assistant general manager.