The White Sox placed center fielder Luis Robert on the 10-day injured list due to blurred vision before tonight’s contest with the Guardians. The placement is backdated to July 19, meaning he’ll first be eligible to return a week from now. He’s been dealing with lightheadedness for the past week, and the team will give him a bit more time to work through the issue.
It doesn’t seem to be a huge concern, as general manager Rick Hahn told reporters (including Vinnie Duber of CHGO Sports) the team was hopeful he could return after a week. Even if he’s back when first eligible, Chicago will have to go a couple pivotal series without arguably their top position player. Robert is hitting .301/.334/.461 with 12 home runs and 11 stolen bases across 323 plate appearances.
In a corresponding move, the Sox reinstated backstop Yasmani Grandal from the IL. Lower back spasms cost the switch-hitting catcher around five weeks. Now that he’s back to health, Grandal will try to get on track after struggling through arguably his worst couple months as a major leaguer. He carries just a .185/.294/.237 line through 201 plate appearances, a shocking downturn for a player who hit .240/.420/.520 last season.
In other injury news, reliever Aaron Bummer told reporters this afternoon he remains about three weeks from getting back onto a mound (via James Fegan of the Athletic). Bummer, who has been out since the second week of June due to a lat strain, is hoping to return to the major league club at some point in early September. That makes it a virtual lock he’ll be transferred to the 60-day injured list whenever Chicago needs a 40-man roster spot, and his still faraway return timeline will play a role in the team’s deadline approach.
Hahn told reporters that, in light of Bummer’s injury, relief pitching is “probably the most obvious need” for his club (via Jesse Rogers of ESPN). The Sox have invested heavily in the bullpen in recent seasons, signing Liam Hendriks, Kendall Graveman and Joe Kelly to multi-year free agent deals (in addition to a lengthy contract extension for Bummer). They’ve nevertheless been a middle-of-the-pack group this year, checking in 17th in ERA (3.90) and 13th in strikeout/walk rate differential (14.9 percentage points). That’s partially due to injury, as Bummer, Hendriks and Kelly have all spent time on the injured list.
Chicago has gotten strong work from both Hendriks and Graveman, as well as former starter Reynaldo López. Along with Kelly, that’s a formidable group of right-handers, but the Sox are down to Tanner Banks as their top southpaw with Bummer on the shelf. Banks has a respectable 3.05 ERA through 38 1/3 innings, but he’s only generating swinging strikes at an 8.4% clip and has a subpar 20.9% strikeout rate.
A southpaw feels like a logical target for Hahn and his staff over the next week and a half. The division-rival Tigers could market Andrew Chafin, who’s likely to decline his player option and hit free agency at the end of the season. Detroit also has hard-throwing Gregory Soto, but he’s controllable through 2025, so the Tigers probably aren’t keen on dealing him to a division rival. Other left-handed relief trade candidates include Joe Mantiply (D-Backs), Steven Okert and Richard Bleier (Marlins) and Matt Moore (Rangers). The Angels Aaron Loup could also draw some interest, although he’s playing on a $7.5MM salary in both this season and next, as well as having a $2MM buyout on a 2024 club option. That could make him a tough fit for a Chicago team running a franchise-record payroll even if the Halos were willing to move him.
Grandal is sleeping at the plate while Zavala is eating his lunch.
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a team have more go wrong for it in a season than the Sox.
The Tigers have a beef
Trying to think when the Braves turned it around last year. I don’t remember it being as miserable as this though
Last season, Atlanta’s very first day above .500 was…August 6!
Every year numerous teams experience as many injuries as the Sox and more. They have no excuse other than organizational mismanagement.
Injuries maybe, but even beyond that, the team just seems to be unable to win regardless. Just seems like one issue or another.
I don’t like their players I really think they’re basically all soft physically and mentally. It’s always something with all of them. Jiminez and Robert are constantly finding new ways to get on the IL. Grandal turned into Rich Gedman as soon as he signed that huge deal and Moncada has never done anything at the MLB level to show he was worth any of the hype he got coming out of Cuba. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again Andrew Vaughn is their best player. He’s the only one I like on that team. Lance Lynn looks cooked and Giolito the same.
@nrd. One main reason that contributes to their overconfidence, year after year, is Steve Stone. I used to believe Ken Harrelson was the main culprit for causing the false narrative, but young wonder boy Benetti seems to fall right in line. The one constant is Stone. He seems to shape their broadcast style. And that style often has absolutely no correlation to what is really happening on the field.
Its going wrong partly because the Sox as a whole seem to think they already won a WS. They have not won anything, and someone needs to go down and remind them of this…. I mean sure there are injuries, and then there are preventable injuries which the Sox have in droves. There also is a thing called ‘practice’ which either these guys ain’t doing to improve or the coaches need to be gone cause the lack of execution and unforced errors this team has made are just comical.
*HJ motion* at “Sox as a whole seem to think they already won a WS”.
Front office does not think that because ownership does not think that. Fans dont either. You are equating overly excited (and probably dumb) fans with the entire org.
Edit: like GMs on every team don’t have a some worry about their job. But not the white sox. They somehow convinced everyone in the org they won a WS recently so their jobs are safe.
@nrd1138 you can’t tell today’s player that they suck they get all butt hurt then go to the media to complain. Don’t you think LaRussa would love to pull a Bull Durham and gather them all in the shower and call them a bunch of lolligaggers? He can’t because they’d all cry like babies to their agents and the press. Fans love blaming the manager but I’m not buying LaRussa as the issue it’s this group of players.
LaRussa wont do anything because he is just going through the motions once he realized how far away from competitive this club really is. He knows his age, he knows that he is getting paid regardless. Kinda how most of the Sox players feel in regards to their pay. A lot of folks on this team appear to be coming in solely for their check and just happen to go out and swing a bat every once and again.
Their season is over. They should be sellers instead of buyers.
The majority of their players have been hurt and/or underperforming. What should they be selling and to whom?
Maybe not sellers, but definitely not buyers.
No untouchables. Either now or over the winter.
Cueto should be attractive with the lack of good rental SP available.
Agree on Cueto
Whoever someone wants bad enough to overpay for them. we did it last year with Hernandez,Kimbrel and this year Kelly,Lynn,Pollock, Leury and Graveman.. This needs to be an adjustment year.
Best part of the White Sox game today was Katie Nolan.
Apple TV broadcasts are horrible otherwise though. Manfred is ruining baseball.
I cannot tell you ‘soo happy’ I am with not being able to see games because someone thought the small amount of Apple TV subscribers would want to watch baseball would outweigh the majority that would not pay for Apple TV (and will not just because a handful of baseball games are show on it). That said, if I was a fan of a winning team Id be pretty upset I had to miss games due to this garbage.
Listless brand of play continues it seems. Glad to not have seen it. Does Giolito still say “I know what I’m worth”? Yet FA starters cash in, so maybe someone will guarantee him 9 figures after ’23 and wonder how it became a disaster quick.
You’ve not watched any games yet are certain they cannot turn around?
I have watched many a White Sox game, this season, last season, the season before that, and for the better part of 30 years. After a while you stop buying the BS from the team and their media and you can tell the heartless teams over the good ones. This team has no heart, and cannot play up to the par of the good teams in the league. Giolito is no ace, Ace pitchers give up 4 or more runs on a really really bad day, and those days are extremely rare.. Look to Cueto (and Lynn when healthy) as what an ‘Ace’ is. Heck they barely beat the teams they were ‘supposed’ to beat in their own division. They destroy a pitcher one game and then about 1 week later they get owned by the same pitcher.. I think the Sox are the only team in the league that cannot score a run when the lead off hitter makes first base (heck they can barely get the guy in from third unless there is a wild pitch). Nevermind their godawful little league base running errors and fielding miscues. Even if Sox somehow miraculously win their division who should care when they will likely get blitzed out of the playoffs early (yet again may I add)?
Top it off with the lack of motivation on this roster and an inept condition and coaching staff, and you have this team. No defense, no timely hitting, injuries abound equal a losing team. At this point you have to wonder if they are really this bad or guys are throwing games, I mean some of these errors are so egregious you have to wonder how these guys made a major league roster…
Didn’t see game Friday as clarification, but box score indicative of same poor offense and pompous pitcher who counts himself among the elite even though his past stats/distant CYA votes are heavily aided by weaker division opponents (imagine at least era 1 run higher if in AL East)……the team broke camp stale/comfortable thinking the division is theirs. Abreu even misleading. Stats look good now, but this team “leader” big part of digging team in the standings hole b/c he and others won’t mentally approach hitting/play until it is warm. Dealing him as a valuable rental would be great signal to rest of the clubhouse and prepare to retool new roster in offseason.
This is a cute article thinking the Sox are buyers.
Even if they manage to win the division or a playoff spot, they can’t beat Houston or the Yankees.
I’d sell Giolito and Grandal.
Abreu, would go, and then bring him back as a coach once the season is over. Id like to see Sheets get a consistent chance at first as well. I doubt they will get anything for the way Grandal and Giolito are performing.. Heh… ‘performing’… Also, even though he is primarily the reason the Sox are still in the race, you have to wonder if anyone would want to pay a decent amount for Cueto? Id say to go after Contreras from the Cubs, but they will want too much for him and the Sox would never pay him what he wanted anyway when he hit FA.
Why would Abreu retire when he’s having an all star level season and hasn’t really indicated he wants to retire soon.
This. He’s hitting like .370 with a 1000 OPS ever since it got warm.
Abreu is a free agent. The Sox won’t sign him because the team is full of 1B/DH types. Grandal, Eloy, Sheets, Vaughn and Abreu. Two or three of them have to go. I’d keep only Vaugn and Sheets. The other’s are injured half the year.
We can’t be a World Series team when we give away the first two months because it’s too cold for some key players. I would trade Eloy, Robert and Moncada.
They’ll keep Abreu and Vaughn, Sheets isn’t get paid a ton so he’ll stay as a bench piece, Eloy will get dealt.
Abreu is going to end his career where it started. Not going anywhere. Probably the most steadily performing player in the league the last nine years. Extremely underrated player.
Who would want Grandal?
“Bummer, Bullpen”
“It doesn’t seem to be a huge concern…..”
Two words….Kirby Puckett
Yes… I’m no neurologist, but how is continued lightheadedness and blurred vision with no explanation not a concern?
I think he may have gotten clipped by the catcher when he was running home in a recent game, if that’s the case, its possible he has a concussion.