The White Sox positioned middle fielder Luis Robert on the 10-day injured checklist because of blurred imaginative and prescient earlier than tonight’s contest with the Guardians. The location is backdated to July 19, that means he’ll first be eligible to return per week from now. He’s been coping with lightheadedness for the previous week, and the group will give him a bit extra time to work by way of the problem.
It doesn’t appear to be an enormous concern, as normal supervisor Rick Hahn advised reporters (together with Vinnie Duber of CHGO Sports) the group was hopeful he may return after per week. Even when he’s again when first eligible, Chicago must go a pair pivotal collection with out arguably their high place participant. Robert is hitting .301/.334/.461 with 12 residence runs and 11 stolen bases throughout 323 plate appearances.
In a corresponding transfer, the Sox reinstated backstop Yasmani Grandal from the IL. Decrease again spasms price the switch-hitting catcher round 5 weeks. Now that he’s again to well being, Grandal will attempt to get on monitor after struggling by way of arguably his worst couple months as a significant leaguer. He carries only a .185/.294/.237 line by way of 201 plate appearances, a stunning downturn for a participant who hit .240/.420/.520 final season.
In different harm information, reliever Aaron Bummer advised reporters this afternoon he stays about three weeks from getting again onto a mound (by way of James Fegan of the Athletic). Bummer, who has been out because the second week of June because of a lat pressure, is hoping to return to the foremost league membership sooner or later in early September. That makes it a digital lock he’ll be transferred to the 60-day injured checklist every time Chicago wants a 40-man roster spot, and his nonetheless faraway return timeline will play a job within the group’s deadline strategy.
Hahn advised reporters that, in gentle of Bummer’s harm, aid pitching is “most likely the obvious want” for his membership (by way of Jesse Rogers of ESPN). The Sox have invested closely within the bullpen in current seasons, signing Liam Hendriks, Kendall Graveman and Joe Kelly to multi-year free agent offers (along with a prolonged contract extension for Bummer). They’ve nonetheless been a middle-of-the-pack group this yr, checking in seventeenth in ERA (3.90) and thirteenth in strikeout/stroll charge differential (14.9 proportion factors). That’s partially because of harm, as Bummer, Hendriks and Kelly have all frolicked on the injured checklist.
Chicago has gotten sturdy work from each Hendriks and Graveman, in addition to former starter Reynaldo López. Together with Kelly, that’s a formidable group of right-handers, however the Sox are all the way down to Tanner Banks as their high southpaw with Bummer on the shelf. Banks has a good 3.05 ERA by way of 38 1/3 innings, however he’s solely producing swinging strikes at an 8.4% clip and has a subpar 20.9% strikeout charge.
A southpaw seems like a logical goal for Hahn and his employees over the subsequent week and a half. The division-rival Tigers may market Andrew Chafin, who’s more likely to decline his participant choice and hit free company on the finish of the season. Detroit additionally has hard-throwing Gregory Soto, however he’s controllable by way of 2025, so the Tigers most likely aren’t eager on dealing him to a division rival. Different left-handed aid commerce candidates embrace Joe Mantiply (D-Backs), Steven Okert and Richard Bleier (Marlins) and Matt Moore (Rangers). The Angels Aaron Loup may additionally draw some curiosity, though he’s enjoying on a $7.5MM wage in each this season and subsequent, in addition to having a $2MM buyout on a 2024 membership choice. That might make him a troublesome match for a Chicago group working a franchise-record payroll even when the Halos have been keen to maneuver him.
