Injured Jimenez getting closer to rejoining White Sox
Hitting baseballs deep into the seats at Guaranteed Rate Field and looking good while making throws from left field to the bases, Eloy Jimenez appeared to be the picture of good health before the White Sox played the Twins Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field.
"Good sign of progress," manager Rick Renteria said.
Needing his potent bat in a lineup that has struggled to score runs coming out of the all-star break, Jimenez is on the 10-day injured list with a right ulnar nerve contusion.
He is eligible to be activated Saturday, but the guess is the Sox take advantage of Monday's day off and bring Jimenez back Tuesday night against the Mets.
"I don't want to speculate on when it would be because I don't know how he's feeling after the full day of work today," Renteria said. "I'll talk to the trainers at the end of the day to see if he's felt any residual effects and then have a better idea for all of you guys tomorrow. Usually you don't feel anything in the moment. You feel it later. We'll see where he's at."
Anderson update:
Like Eloy Jimenez, Sox shortstop Tim Anderson is on the injured list recovering from a sprained right ankle.
Unlike Jimenez, Anderson has been out for a month and he's on a minor-league rehab assignment.
Anderson played his third straight game at Class AAA Charlotte Friday night, his second straight at short.
After going 5-for-8 in his first two games, Anderson was 0-for-4.
No excuses:
In Thursday night's 10-3 loss to the Twins, Sox starter Lucas Giolito gave up 7 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks over 5 innings. The all-star pitcher also gave up 4 home runs, 3 of them hit by Nelson Cruz.
Minnesota became the fastest team in major-league history to reach 200 homers in a season Friday, and there has been plenty of talk about the baseball being juiced.
Giolito didn't make any excuses.
"I've answered a bunch of questions about that," Giolito said. "For me, if the ball's juiced, it's juiced, but we're all playing with a juiced ball. It is what it is."
SoxFest switches:
Not only is SoxFest moving from Hilton Chicago, next year's 28th annual fan gathering will be shortened from three days to two.
SoxFest 2020 will be held at McCormick Place on Jan. 24-25.