The Chicago White Sox made a bold move this past offseason when they traded star outfielder Luis Robert Jr. to the New York Mets. In return, they landed pitcher Truman Pauley and infielder Luisangel Acuña—the younger brother of MLB superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. While Pauley was sent to Single-A for further development, Acuña was immediately placed on the Opening Day roster, tasked with patrolling center field and occasionally filling in at shortstop.

Defensively, Acuña has had his ups and downs, but that’s not where the real concern lies. The bigger issue is at the plate. Through 28 games, the 23-year-old is slashing just .165/.230/.177 with zero home runs and only three RBIs. For a White Sox squad trying to stay competitive in a tough division, that level of production simply isn’t cutting it.

ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle recently noted that Acuña is running out of time to hold onto his starting role. “He just hasn’t looked competitive at the plate, too often putting tepidly hit grounders into play early in the count as if he were merely trying to avoid strikeouts,” Doolittle wrote. “Chicago’s options keep getting better, so if Acuña doesn’t offer more with the bat, he’s headed for a future as a utility player.”

Those better options are already emerging. Top prospect Braden Montgomery is tearing it up in the minors, and the team recently signed veteran corner outfielder Randal Grichuk. If Acuña can’t find his rhythm soon, the front office will have no choice but to explore other options. The clock is ticking, and for this young slugger, the time to step up is now.