Did Yermin Mercedes compare getting sent to the minors to 9/11?

After a hot start, Yermin Mercedes has been sent down to the minor leagues. In a motivational Instagram story in response to the news, Mercedes appeared to channel 9/11.

Mercedes has been ice cold of late, which explains the White Sox decision to send him down to the minors to retool his swing. At this juncture, he’s hurting the Sox far more than he’s helping them. In a corresponding move, the South Siders called up Jake Burger.

The 28-year-old slashed .368/.417/.571 through the first 38 games of the season, but has since come to a screeching halt production-wise. Per MLB Trade Rumors, Mercedes was hitting .150/.220/.196 across his past 118 plate appearances. That’s not anywhere near a MLB level, despite the league’s crackdown on foreign substances for pitchers.

Chicago White Sox: Did Yermin Mercedes reference 9/11 in his Instagram story?

It’s important to note that there is a language barrier here, so it’s tough to fault Mercedes entirely. Also of note, Mercedes Instagram profile has since gone private, meaning all we really have are screenshots of the incident, which are posted below.

Mercedes has changed his profile picture recently, but the username is his, assuming the screenshots available on social media are correct.

While Mercedes didn’t make as offensive of a reference, UFC champ Israel Adesanya publicly apologized for saying his UFC 248 opponent Yoel Romero would “crumble like the Twin Towers.” It’s safe to say athletes in general ought to stay away from 9/11 metaphors.

Nonetheless, it’s important not to judge Mercedes on one social media post alone. He clearly was trying to tell fans he’d be back, one way or another. The post itself was just…not appropriate for the moment, to say the least.

This likely isn’t the last we’ve seen of Mercedes in a White Sox uniform.