The White Sox have been without Eloy Jiménez for two and a half months, as the slugging outfielder tore a tendon in his right hamstring on April 23. He’ll soon return to the lineup, however, as various reporters (including Jesse Rogers of ESPN) noted that he’s reported to the major league team after wrapping up a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte yesterday. Jiménez won’t be active for tonight’s game against the Twins, but manager Tony La Russa said he’ll be reinstated within the next few days — perhaps as soon as tomorrow (via Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times).
Jiménez’s impending return should be a boon for a lineup that has underwhelmed this season. The defending AL Central winners entered the year with one of the league’s more imposing rosters, but they carry a 38-40 record into play Tuesday night. Offensive struggles have been a key reason, as Chicago hitters carry a .254/.309/.377 line as a unit. They’re 19th in MLB in on-base percentage and 23rd in slugging output, while their 98 wRC+ indicates they’ve been two percentage points worse than a league average offense. That places them 20th leaguewide.
Left field has been one of a handful of problem areas, as the Sox have received a meager .250/.292/.387 showing out of the position. Jiménez contributed to that somewhat with a rough 11 games to start the season, but the bigger factor has been a down year from Spring Training acquisition AJ Pollock. The veteran outfielder did have a decent June after a dismal first two months of his White Sox’s tenure, and Jiménez’s activation should afford Chicago the freedom to plug Pollock into right field regularly as they’d intended to open the season.
Gavin Sheets has seen the bulk of the right field playing time of late. The left-hander has hit .227/.296/.372, production that has been superior to Pollock’s but still below-average. He’s also rated poorly in the eyes of public defensive metrics, not surprising given that he’s spent the vast majority of his professional career playing first base.
Jiménez has missed notable chunks of each of the past two seasons. He was limited to 55 games last year after rupturing his pectoral tendon during Spring Training. That delayed his debut until late July, and he had a fairly disappointing .249/.303/.437 showing during the year’s final couple months. The 25-year-old showed the potential to be a middle-of-the-order presence over his first two big league seasons, though, combining for a .276/.321/.527 showing with 45 homers in 175 games from 2019-20.
Activating Jiménez will require a 40-man move, as Chicago’s roster is currently full. That’s largely a formality, since infielder Danny Mendick will be transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list after suffering a season-ending ACL tear last month.
Chicago also seems set to welcome back another injured regular in the relatively near future. Yasmani Grandal told reporters (including James Fegan of the Athletic) that he’s joining Double-A Birmingham tomorrow to start a rehab stint. Out since June 12 due to back spasms, Grandal will ease back into game action as a designated hitter before getting behind the plate. The veteran backstop suggested he’s hoping to return shortly after the All-Star Break, where he’ll look to rebound from a rough .185/.294/.237 showing through the season’s first couple months.
Much ado about nothing. Jimenez is no improvement on anyone defensively. And, he hasn’t hit well in 2 years or even in his minor league stint.
He isn’t likely to help the Sox. Just another un athletic RH hitter with no D, poor base running ability and no plan at the plate. In other words, his been trained by White Sox coaching.
Did that make you feel better about yourself?
Wooo Hoooo!!! Mr Fun (Eloy) is back!!!
Let’s start the partiiiiii!
But old Stoney and his partner, boy wonder, will try to sell the Sox fans (again) that this is the ‘turning point’ of the season. That will be about the 3rd time since June first, they’ll make that point.
That’s also one thing that hurts the Sox, huge Over HYPE.
As a throw in for perennial CY Young candidate Dylan Cease, I’ll take it 🙂
Eloy hit game tying 2-run home run second time up.
Eloy also made a great catch in LF into the screen along foul line and first row of seats. Eloy maintained his balance and did NOT get hurt.
Welcome back, Eloy!
Get a life, roob!
Eloy a game tying double bottom of 7th!!
Anecdotal results are the basis of flawless analysis. Aaron Hicks silenced his critics with a great game against the Irates last night. And to think everyone was saying he sucks.
Pretty much agree, but you have to remember he’s still very young. That said, at some point, Eloy has to start drawing walks. Right now he trying to hit everything. That’s not going to last. His OBP is terrible.
Tell the other outfielders and the netting. This guy flies around like the Greatest American Hero.
We’ll be reading about how he’s going back on the IL by the end of July.
I thought the Cubs were idiots for dealing him as I followed his minor league career. He has actually gotten worse defensively when he got to the majors and he is still young. It is like he became Stanton without the 5 years rapid success and quick degrading.
Likely gets hurt in pregame stretch and goes on IL a la Kevan Smith.
The white sox are a train wreck.
It may seem that way today, but they have a bright future……
They’re at the max payroll they can afford based on revenues; they have numerous veterans with contracts coming up that expect substantially more money; they have bad contracts they can’t move; their minor league system has no help coming from the upper minors; they have good pitching as well as 43 1B’s / DH’s and no 2B or C.
But this is all the managers fault so as soon as they fire him they’ll cruise to the playoffs and right through to the WS.
Jimenez is not going to solve their issues. This team has no heart. Ive said it since last season and it still applies. No fire, no want of winning, call it what you will. A really sloppy, REALLY inexcusable, triple play yesterday, that killed a rally as well, shows you the lack of accountability and discipline this team has (and shows you all you need to know about Moncada who had the play right in front of him and still took off running.. and apparently about Engel as well who, when about 1 step away from 2nd, refused to tag up like any minor leaguer would know to do). Harrison getting doubled off with two runners on and 1 out tonight (and Anderson apparently not knowing how to drive runs in either) shows just how lackadaisical this team takes things. If I was the GM Id be livid, but apparently Hahn suffers from the same malaise that his team does. There is just no leadership on this club. I thought Lynn was bringing it as he finally gets off the DL and the team looks like its doing better, but then lays the kind of eggs against the team they MUST beat in their own division. Time and time again fooling their fans, except for the super fans that whine about people telling it like it is. Id stop watching, but its like a slow motion train wreck, you just cannot avert your eyes. I did not even get to the mummy of a manager who should be sitting on a porch somewhere admiring the sunset instead of managing a ball club (and I think LaRussa feels that way about now as well). This team could be so much more if they could just get leadership (players and coaches) in the locker room and some fire in their bellies. Im not sure if its a guy like Guillen, but I would not say Maddon, as he is a lot like the last two guys in the managers office for this Sox team. Id like to see Abreu retire as well, and become a coach (though, as much as I really love him as a player, I think he is part of the lackadaisical attitude hurting the Sox now), and see Sheets or Vaughn get full time play at first (where they belong). Finally get a proven winner in that clubhouse as a player, a guy who will take charge and really call out the guys that seem to be going through the motions, and a manager who will call it like they see it and not just sigh and say ‘oh well’ like LaRussa apparently does.
I said hiring a 90 year old guy who’s been out of baseball for years was a really dumb idea at the time. But I suspect that was Jerry sticking his 2 cents in one last time. I really think Katz sucks just as bad as LaRussa and the training staff must be the worst in the league just looking at the injuries they sustain on a regular basis. One of the youngest teams in baseball is being managed by Moses. Egads
You’re not wrong about La Clown. Katz I think is ok, Cease has done great since Katz replaced Cooper, Cueto is doing fine and Kopech has made strides. Even Reynaldo Lopez is useful. They have enormously bigger problems hitting than pitching. But even if they hit, they need a different manager. Nobody within 5 years of La Clown’s age has ever coached an NBA or NFL game, and only 2 others his age have managed an MLB game. One was Jack McKeon for less than a season a few years ago, and the other was Connie Mack like 80 years ago. Because the physical and mental demands of coaching a pro sports team are not a good fit for somebody who is older than a lot of people who are already in nursing homes. It’s an embarrassment to the team and an insult to the fans. I don’t even hope they make the playoffs, La Clown doesn’t deserve it, and neither does Reinsdorf for being idiotic enough to hire him. This rebuild is just done until La Clown is gone, probably until Reinsdorf dies or sells the team realistically.
La Clown, that’s great. Spot on analysis too!
You guys can start with the fact that the Sox 2 “leaders” – Anderson and Abreu – show up each day primarily to hit. They expect to play 1B and SS, even though their minds are somewhere else when they’re out on the field and running the bases. Ownership and the FO have been catering to them for years.
Being the “leaders” that sets the tone.
Know who you got? Jake ‘Friggin’ Burger. Not being funny. A lot of Kevin Youkilis qualities there. They need to get a real coaching staff that can work with him to get his OPS up. This guy sticks his nose in it every time he’s on the field. He’s not graceful, he just wants to help the team win. Unlike just about every other position player on the roster – he’s coachable (maybe Sheets as well in RF).
Get rid of Kenny Williams and his Yes Men. Hire some FO people that will bring in guys that want to play winning baseball; not play to run up their stats, get a long term contract for more money than they’re worth, and be celebrities.
Cease will join Hendriks at the Neil Attarche( spelling flaw I know) hospital of Tommy John surgery soon the way LaRussa uses them and lets them throw even when you can see they’re gassed. Now that TLR has his fix back with Hendriks how long will it be before the 6 out saves and TJ surgery follow? You can see him shaking in the dugout when he thinks he can bring Hendriks in. Won’t be long before he’ going for the 4 inning saves til his elbow falls off.
Similar to why we shouldn’t be appointing ancient dementia patients to the office of US President.
I agree. Trump should just go to the nursing home.
Where is ChiSoxCity to post about this? Oh right, it’s not about the Cubs or Yankees, so he doesn’t care!
I always look at Memorial Day and 4th of July weekends before I make my final assessment of a team and what they need to do. 1) Fire TLR and replace him with Cairo or McEwing which ever one supports the idea of no gold chains and button up jerseys. Time to show these players that they got a HOF players manager fired and maybe have someone light a fire. 2) Start trading assets early on the market. At least the ones you can. Cueto, Harrison, McGuire or Zavala. If you could find a taker for Moncada I’d take a couple 19 year high ceiling prospects to shed his uninspired self.
LOL
1. Cueto, Harrison, McGuire or Zavala will not bring back much more than a so-so prospect…..if that (most teams don’t want them taking up a ML roster spot).
2. Moncada is terrible and he’s owed $67.6m between 2023-25. No one in MLB is taking that contract on, let alone trading anything of value for him.
But you know, this is all 90 year old La Clown’s fault. See he was brought in to teach the players how to play fundamental baseball. You know, like Rick Renteria before him and Robin Ventura before him. Going on 11 years of managers working with Sox players to get them to play fundamental baseball. The players change. The managers change. Yet the guys wearing the Sox uniform boot the ball all over the field, run into each other, do no situational hitting or smart baserunning, exhibit no Baseball IQ, and have no idea how to play winning baseball.
But we know it’s always the managers fault.
Face it LaRussa was a bad hire, apparently some think this guy is the same guy that was managing the Cards.. He’s not, he is a guy that apparently was guilt-ed into taking on the Sox manager role for Reinsdorf.. Would I want LaRussa from 10 years ago? Sure, LaRussa now? Nope, he should have never left the golf course… Sure its not to say that the Sox don’t hire managers apparently like they have brought in FAs from the past. The ‘KW’ school of GM’ing, get a guy that was awesome 5 years previously and hope you catch lightning in a bottle…I would say Guillen should be manager again, but toward the end of his run he had some pretty godawful fielding on his squads too. However the common thing of all of these guys not named Guillen? All are ‘yes’ men, which KW loves…
Perpetual Groundhog Day in Chicago. Same old crap every year, every decade…
Giolito and his 1.5yrs left of contract is their best trade chip, especially if he gets in a groove after last decent start. A team amenable to giving him a 9 figure extension later (eg. Berrios) that WSox won’t nor should nets a decent return. Dealing Hendriks also helps. Useless to have 2.5yrs more of a pricey top tier closer when the everyday lineup is poor and doesn’t hit decent RHPs. Most other departures would be partial cash dumps at best (Joe Kelly, Pollock, Harrison or Leury). They should trade rental Abreu to plant Vaughn at 1B everyday, but loyalty/emotions would prevent doing the right thing and signaling the comfy clubhouse era ahead of winning is over.
If you can find someone insane enough to take him and give you something decent? Absolutely. Giolito does not impress me, and this guy apparently wants “Ace’ money, I have a feeling he will be wishing he took that deal the Sox proposed.
The Sox need a manager that will force fundamentals with this club, and light a fire under it (or to it, the way its looked against the Twins). Also someone that has won it all. To get into these guys faces and say: ‘If you want it, you need to work for it. No one is just going to anoint you a champion just for stepping on the field’
I wonder how long it will be before Eloy runs into a wall or tears a hamstring etc. Maybe it’s time to check him food for controlled substances. It seems that the Sox has an IL rotation of Eloy, Yoan, Yasmani & kopech. Do they really want to play this game of baseball? If the Sox become sellers I think it would best to consider mpving these
Wastrals for players that can stay healthy and that really want to play. Why the Sox pissed away $83M for Grandal is beyond me.
This guy and Yoan can’t even hit at the mendoza level. Also what happened to the Kopech 100+ mph fastball?
‘ohhh you must be a 5th grade gym coach then for saying this.. ..blab blah blah blah.”
In reality, you hit the nail on the head, either the players need to go or the apparently witless conditioning staff. Herm Schneider retires and you have of this team coming down with ‘hamstring injuries’ and other silly injuries like lats, abs, calves, and quad injuries.. Though I think Kopech just needs work, I would not give up on that kid yet, though I think this poor attitude clubhouse likely has an affect on the good players still there…
I have a crazy idea ( for many reasons).. The Sox should trade for Contreras from the Cubs and ’86’ the walking knee injury Grandal. Id also like to think a guy like Contreras would fire up this clubhouse.. Maybe its just wishful thinking on my part though..
I second a trade for Contreras. Offer up Burger.
Contreras is an All Star and will help bolster the Sox offense.
Zavala and McGuire have done a great job, but Sox cannot rely on Grandal to come back healthy and be productive.