Bad timing for White Sox rookie: Jimenez dealing with another injury

When he's healthy and in a good rhythm, Eloy Jimenez has been as dangerous as any hitter in baseball this season.

The White Sox's left fielder leads American League rookies with 22 home runs and ranks fourth with 52 RBI. Imagine the numbers if he didn't miss 34 games with various physical ailments.

"A little bit, yeah," Jimenez said when asked if he's discouraged about all the injuries, "because they started to happen when I was starting to feel good at the plate."

On the Sox's last road trip, Jimenez was 5-for-12 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI over a three-game stretch against the Angels and Twins. In his second at-bat during Wednesday's game at Minnesota, Jimenez felt some right hip discomfort.

"I didn't want to get out of the game," he said. "(Thursday), I felt more soreness that day. But today I felt good."

Jimenez was not in the White Sox's starting lineup Friday for the second straight game. He was sidelined with a sprained ankle and sore elbow earlier in the season.

"He's obviously had a couple of things go on," manager Rick Renteria said. "He just wants to be in there. Even (Thursday) when he came in, he said, 'I can still DH if you need me to.' We have to be the adults in the room at the end and make sure we take care of everybody.

"Anytime you have an interruption, it can throw the rhythm off a little bit, but he's still making adjustments just like anybody else and learning how to do it at the major-league level. He'll be fine."

Renteria said Jimenez should be back in the lineup Saturday.

Special tribute:

It is Players' Weekend, the third straight year for colorful nicknames on the back of uniforms and decorated bats, gloves, spikes and other equipment.

Breaking up the grind of the season and having some fun is the primary goal, but Sox starting pitcher Lucas Giolito is one of several major-league players using the time to pay tribute to Tyler Skaggs.

A starter for the Angels, Skaggs was found dead in his Texas hotel room on July 1 before a scheduled game against the Rangers.

Southern California natives, Giolito and Skaggs were close friends. Giolito has "Love You Ty" on the back of his uniform.

"I want to say it originated in our group chat of all the guys that were really close to Tyler," Giolito said. "Maybe it was Ryan Braun's suggestion. I couldn't tell you exactly whose suggestion it was, but someone suggested that we change up our nicknames and dedicate a day or the weekend to Tyler by putting a Love You Ty on there."

Giolito is still trying to process Skaggs' passing.

"It's weird," he said. "It's just weird day-by-day. He's not here anymore. The biggest thing for me is when I think about his family. Obviously his parents and (wife) Carli, knowing that they were just about to start a family and all that, it's really tough to process. I just feel so badly for them.

"But all we can do is be there and lend our support in every way possible and continue to honor him and his memory."

Roster move:

The White Sox placed left-handed relief Jace Fry on the paternity list Friday and recalled Jose Ruiz from Class AAA Charlotte.

Fry, 2-4 with a 5.01 ERA in 53 appearances, can be away for 1-3 days.