Robert’s season may be over, but Sox believe in his future
The White Sox placed outfielder Luis Robert Jr. on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain before Wednesday's game against Kansas City. The injury happened while running to first base in the second inning Tuesday.
Robert's season might be over, but his White Sox career? Maybe not.
The often-injured outfielder has a team option worth $20 million for next season, and Sox general manager Chris Getz said Wednesday he still believes in Robert's potential.
“We are committed to Luis,” Getz said, according to mlb.com. “You look back at what he’s done with our team, even a little bit before the second half began. He’s done really well against lefties and he’s had glimpses against righties. You look at the defense, the baserunning. He was showing everyone what he’s capable of doing. He can be such a boost to this lineup and this team.”
Overall this season, Robert is hitting .223 with 14 home runs, 53 RBI and 33 stolen bases. But he was on an upswing. After hitting .190 with a .600 OPS in the first half of the season, he boosted those numbers to .298 and an .808 OPS after the all-star break. He's one of eight White Sox regulars with an .800-plus OPS since the break.
“He was impacting our team, and the reason we have been able to get more wins had a lot to do with Luis Robert’s performance on both sides of the ball,” Getz said. “The other night, he had one of the better center-field games I’ve seen from him. We will get him healthy and prepare him to come back here (in September) or get ready for next season.”
Robert, 28, hit 38 home runs and played in 145 games in 2023, but that was his career-high in games played by a wide margin. This season is his second-highest total at 110 games played.
Even if the Sox pick up Robert’s option for next season, he could still be on the trading block.
Will Robertson was called up from Triple-A Charlotte to fill the roster spot.
Colson Montgomery, who has homered in his last four games, was not in Wednesday's starting lineup due to left side soreness. It's an issue that caused him to miss a game during the most recent road trip.