The Chicago White Sox are already having a season to forget. Alongside some poor play on the diamond, the White Sox have been bitten badly by the injury bug.
Outfielders Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert ‘s absences in particular have held Chicago's offense back. Jimenez is dealing with a hamstring injury while Robert is working his way back from a hip flexor strain. As the White Sox look to find some semblance of success during the 2024 season, one outfielder is nearing a return while the other has a long road back.
Jimenez got the short end of the stick as he is expected to be out for an extended period of time. Placed on the injured list on Wednesday, manager Pedro Grifol didn't know exactly how much time Jimenez would miss. But it doesn't sound like it'll be a quick IL trip, via MLB.com.
“He beat it up pretty good,” Grifol said. “Exactly how much time? Who knows? But it'll be an extended period of time.”
When giving his best estimate of Jimenez's timeline, Grifol compared it to that of Robert. His hip flexor strain has held him out since April 5. Still, he's remaining hopeful Jimenez won't be out that long.
“May not as long as Luis. We'll just see,” Grifol said. “You just don't know. This is all speculation because you don't really know until you start treating it. We just found out that he beat it up pretty good.”
On the other side of the coin, Robert hit a home run during a rookie-level rehab game at Chicago's Arizona complex on Wednesday. Grifol is expecting Robert to advance through his rehab process in short order, barring a re-injury. Once he's fully clear, the White Sox manager just wants Robert to get back up to speed.
“He'll play a couple more games in Arizona, and I think on Sunday, he'll head to Charlotte – God willing, everything continues to go well,” Grifol said. “He'll have that Minor League day off on Monday, get a workout in and then he'll start playing his Charlotte games on Tuesday.
“We'll see after that,” Grifol concluded. “I think probably by the middle of next week or something like that, he'll be cleared with his leg, and then it becomes ABs and timing and stuff like that.”
At 15-36, it would take a Herculean effort for the White Sox to truly turn their season around. But at least with Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert in the lineup, their offense will be a bit scarier to opposing pitchers. While Robert is nearing that return, fans will wait a little longer to see Jimenez back in Chicago.
What White Sox are missing in Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert
Jimenez appeared in 36 games before suffering his hamstring injury. His numbers were down across the board, as he hit .231 with five home runs, 12 RBI and three stolen bases. But even though his numbers don't jump off the page, Jimenez is still second on the team in home runs and stolen bases and fifth in batting average and RBI.
Still, Chicago is hoping the outfielder can revert to his 2023 numbers when he steps on the field. Over 120 games, Jimenez hit .272 with 18 home runs and 64 RBI. Chicago will be patient – mainly due to their record – but also because they know Jimenez can be a potent bat in their lineup.
Robert's hip injury has held him out of all but seven games in 2024. In that short timeframe, the outfielder has hit .214 with two home runs, four RBI and a stolen base. But much like Jimenez, the White Sox aren't judging him off early season struggles marred by injury. Especially after the year Robert had in 2023.
Over 145 games, Robert hit .264 with 38 home runs, 80 RBI and 20 stolen bases. It was far and away the best season of his career, as the outfielder was named to his first All-Star Game.
With the pool of players currently on the White Sox, maybe Robert could earn another All-Star nod if he comes back strong. Accolade or not, the outfielder is inching closer to coming back to Chicago and helping wake up a lifeless White Sox offense.
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