The Chicago White Sox have to deal with a familiar problem. Outfielder-designated hitter Eloy Jimenez has suffered yet another nagging injury.
Jimenez left Sunday’s game against the Detroit Tigers with left adductor soreness. The adductor is a group of muscles that extend from the pelvic bone down to the inner thigh and knee. The team says Jimenez is still being further evaluated.
The injury took place in the sixth inning during Jimenez’s third at bat of the game. He hit a ground ball to third base and as he ran towards first in an attempt to beat out the play, he grimaced as he was running. He appeared to take off out of the batter’s box without any issues, but by the time he got half way to first base he was no longer running free and easy. Once he crossed first base after the was called out, he made it back to the White Sox dugout in hesitant fashion.
The White Sox and their fans are very familiar with injuries that keep Jimenez out of the lineup. Many of those have been of the nagging variety, but he has also had his share of serious illnesses and injuries. Last year he missed time due to a hamstring strain that he struggled to shake, and he also was out due to an appendectomy.
Jimenez is is talented but quite inconsistent
Jimenez is clearly a very talented performer when he can stay in the lineup and he can build some consistency. However, that has rarely been the case throughout his career. Jimenez has been with the White Sox since the 2019 season.
Jimenez played in 120 games last year and that was only the second time in his career that he had played in more than 84 games. He slashed .272/.317/.441 with 18 home runs and 64 RBI.
The 6-4, 250-pound Jimenez had his best season as a rookie in 2019. He played in 122 games that season and he slashed .267/.315/.513 while bashing 31 home runs and driving in 79 runs.
After that performance, the White Sox were hoping that they could get 30 home runs or more every year from Eloy Jimenez, but he has not come close to that performance. He has not had more than 18 home runs in any season since.
The White Sox dropped their third consecutive game to start the season as they fell to the Tigers by a 3-2 margin. The Tigers appear to be a much improved team this year and they could give the favored Minnesota Twins a battle for first place in the American League Central Division.
On the other hand, the White Sox were one of the most disappointing teams in baseball last year as they finished in fourth place in the AL Central with a 61-101 record. What made that performance even worse is that they were considered a division favorite at the start of the season.
Manager Pedro Grifol has talked about the team exceeding expectations in 2024, but losing three games in a row at home is clearly a disappointing start.
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