Tommy Pham Demands To Be Activated By White Sox; Then Hits Go-Ahead Homer

September 16, 2026
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There's really only one Tommy Pham. You'd have a hard time finding any other player in baseball that has been as bold and confident in his abilities as this guy.

All he did in the last 24 hours was bump into his GM Chris Getz in an elevator Tuesday night and insist to him that he be activated off the injured list by the White Sox ASAP. 

Perhaps fearing what Pham might do to him otherwise, Getz activated the journeyman outfielder for today's game, and he was inserted into the clean up spot. And what does Pham do? 

He merely hits a go-ahead three-run homer to give the ChiSox the lead over the Cleveland Guardians in a critical game for Chicago, who have been struggling to hold off the Guards for first place in the AL Central. It was only a half-game lead going into Wednesday's game. 

Pham had just one plate appearance for the White Sox two weeks ago after they acquired him at the end of August. He then immediately went on the IL with a left calf strain. Two weeks later, Pham demanded to come off the IL the moment he was ready. It paid dividends for the Pale Hose. 

Getz was asked during the game, “What happens if you don’t run into him (in the elevator)?”

“(We would have) probably waited till this weekend (to activate him)," Getz responded.

Ah, but unfortunately, Pham's heroics went for naught, as Cleveland came back with four runs of their own the very next inning to take a commanding 6-3 lead.

Pham is in his second stint on the South Side of Chicago, and it's his 10th team in the majors. He's been a journeyman for the last half-decade, playing with eight different clubs in those five years, twice with the NY Mets and twice with the ChiSox. 

He began this seaosn with the Mets, but played just 9 games early in the season, going 0-for-13 and being DFA'd. He signed a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, before being traded to Chicago.

The 38-year-old can still deliver on occasion, and he has a career .764 OPS with a 109 OPS+. 



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