Jimenez, Abreu intend to keep the good fortunes rolling for White Sox

Left fielder Eloy Jimenez provided a brief scare Sunday when he made a tumbling catch, only to supply relief with a big smile.

And Jose Abreu alleviated fears Tuesday night when he scooted from first to third base, shortly after placing his hands on his knees after lunging toward first base for an infield single.

Despite a robust lead in the American League Central with 28 games left, collective breaths are held around the White Sox organization. The hope is that All-Star shortstop Tim Anderson and pitchers Lance Lynn and Lucas Giolito - all on the 10-day injured list - will have enough time to regain their strength and sharpness for the postseason.

Manager Tony La Russa won't mention the playoffs, but he has seen how a late-season injury can impact a team's fortunes and has implored his players to use wise judgment in playing hard but not dangerously.

With seven games left in the 2002 regular season, the Diamondbacks' magic number for clinching a playoff berth was 3, and it was considered a forgone conclusion they'd face La Russa's Cardinals in the National League Division Series.

But the Diamondbacks' quest for a second consecutive World Series title went virtually kaput when left field slugger Luis Gonzalez collided with shortstop Tony Womack while trying to catch a pop down the left field line in the fifth inning with a 1-0 lead at Busch Stadium.

Gonzalez was lost for the remainder of the season due to a shoulder separation, and the Cardinals swept the Diamondbacks in their best-of-five playoff series.

"If I had to do it all over, I would have ran toward the line and might have pulled up and let Womack go out there," Gonzalez recalled Wednesday. "It's almost like spring training, especially with the established guys. You're looking at the overall picture.

"It's hard. If you don't play hard or look like it, you're ridiculed by the fans and media. You're in a hard spot. I see what Tony means."

Gonzalez appreciated that La Russa, a fellow Tampa Jefferson High School alum, lent his support in a telephone call after the injury.

But it didn't alleviate the helplessness of not having a chance to earn another Series ring.

"You always want to go at full strength," said Gonzalez, now a senior adviser to the president with the Diamondbacks. "(The Sox) got such a big lead that you at least want to maintain it."

The always-fearless Abreu has been hit by pitches 17 times in 127 games but eschews the padded elbow guards worn by several sluggers.

"I don't like to wear anything," Abreu said. "I like to play the game as natural as possible."

Furthermore, "In Cuba, I was hit probably around 30 times in 60 games."

Jimenez's situation is more curious. He missed the first 99 games because of a ruptured left pectoral tendon near the end of spring training but is determined to prove he's a capable left fielder despite his occasional misadventures.

"You guys can see I catch more balls than in the past this year," Jimenez said. "I just feel good. I play hard every single day. Some days I want to reach for a homer, but if it's way gone, I'm not going to reach anymore."

Jimenez admitted he might "take it easy" running to first on routine grounders. "But that doesn't mean I'm not going to play hard."

The most refreshing aspect is that neither Abreu nor Jimenez are engulfed with personal goals. Abreu needs two homers to reach the 30 mark for the fifth time in his career and 21 RBIs to equal his career high of 123 set in 2019.

Jimenez, meanwhile, is happy just to play after missing nearly the first four months. He also wants to return the favor after several teammates called to lend support while he was rehabbing in Arizona.

Assuming Giolito, Lynn and Anderson are ready by the next homestead, the balance of the schedule will give La Russa more clarity in preparing for the postseason.

In the meantime, Jimenez wants to help pick up the slack for the loss of Anderson.

"He was there for me," Jimenez said. "I'm going to be there for him. So I'm going to play hard like he was out for a season. What (can) I say? We need to handle with what we have."

• Mark Gonzales is a veteran sports writer who covered the White Sox from 2005-2012 and the Cubs from 2013-2020 for the Tribune. Follow him on Twitter @MDGonzales