Hard times have hit the south side, as the Chicago White Sox continue to muddle through the beginning of the 2024 season.
The White Sox entered the weekend with just one win in the team’s first seven games. Chicago is setting up camp in the basement of the American League Central and appears poised to be one of the worst teams in MLB for a second consecutive season.
Friday was a rough day for the Southsiders, as designated hitter Eloy Jimenez was placed on the injured list with a left adductor strain. Hours later, the White Sox saw another one of the team’s sluggers, Luis Robert Jr., leave a game with a hip flexor injury.
To fill the gap left by Jimenez’s absence, Chicago called up 2023 World Series champion outfielder Robbie Grossman from Triple-A Charlotte.
White Sox Immediately Plug Grossman into the Lineup
Grossman, a 12-year major-league veteran, signed with Chicago late in spring training. Assigned to the minors to build up at-bats, he hit .400 in 12 at-bats with Charlotte.
The 34-year-old played in 115 games with the World Series champion Texas Rangers last season, hitting .238 with 10 home runs. He saw time in seven postseason contests as the Rangers claimed their first MLB title.
Chicago immediately plugged Grossman into the lineup at right field Friday night. He went 0-for-3 as Chicago fell 2-1 at the Kansas City Royals.
White Sox well-used to Losing Jimenez
Jimenez was initially pegged as the next superstar in Chicago baseball. A top prospect of the crosstown Chicago Cubs, he was traded across town in a deal for White Sox pitcher Jose Quintana in 2017. While Quintana busted out on the north side, Jimenez’s MLB debut in 2019 was a success.
The then-22-year-old finished fourth in the AL Rookie of the Year vote. He hit .267 with 31 home runs in 122 games that first season. However, those 122 games played remain the high-water mark for Jimenez in a single season.
Jimenez played in 55 of 60 games during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. However, he played just 55 of 162 games in 2021 due to several injuries. Another rash of injuries to various parts of Jimenez’s body held him to just 84 games in 2022. The multi-injury bug continued to bite Jimenez last season, though he managed to play in 120 games.
When healthy, Jimenez remains one of the most feared hitters in the White Sox lineup. In 439 MLB games, he has hit .274 with 89 homers and 275 RBIs. To that end, Chicago moved him to full-time designated hitter this season.
However, the 27-year-old managed to play just three games before succumbing to injury once again. The move to the IL was made retroactive to April 2. It is not currently known whether Jimenez will be ready to rejoin the team when his IL stint concludes on April 12.
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Tom Carothers is a sportswriter with more than 20 years of experience covering sports at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. Still longing for the return of his Minnesota North Stars, he has a high pain tolerance as a big fan of the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Browns, and Tottenham Hotspur.