Gonzalez comes through again, sparks White Sox to 4-2 win over Guardians
Elvis Andrus is the White Sox's regular second baseman. He's on the injured list with a strained left oblique.
Lenyn Sosa has logged the second-most innings at the position this season, but he was optioned to Class AAA Charlotte late last week after his batting average dipped to .132.
Hanser Alberto has played 7 games at second base, but he's on the IL with a left shoulder injury. In Sunday's game against the Royals, Alberto beat out a bunt single and hurt himself giving a "safe" single after crossing the bag.
Romy Gonzalez is next on the depth chart and, even though he entered Tuesday night's game at Cleveland with a .182/.178/.273 hitting line, he's been making a move.
In Sunday's 5-2 win over Kansas City at Guaranteed Rate Field, Gonzalez's 2-run triple put the Sox in front for good and sparked a three-game sweep.
Back at it again Tuesday night at Progressive Field, Gonzalez came through with a 2-run double off starter Logan Allen in the seventh inning to lift the White Sox to a 4-2 win over the Guardians.
"Definitely a big moment," Gonzalez told reporters. "(Allen) was doing a great job up to that point, pounding us all in. Really looking in there and put a good swing on a good pitch. Anytime you can come through for the team in a moment like that, it's huge."
Dylan Cease started for the Sox and earned the win for the first time since April 10 after pitching 6 innings and allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks. The right-hander also had 3 strikeouts.
"Definitely the best I've felt in quite a while," Cease said. "I feel like I'm getting really close to syncing everything up."
Center fielder Luis Robert Jr. left the game after the eighth inning with right hip tightness.
Manager Pedro Grifol said Robert likely won't play the series finale against Cleveland Wednesday afternoon but he could be back Thursday when the White Sox open a four-game series at Detroit.
Red-hot reliever Joe Kelly pitched a scoreless eighth and hasn't allowed a run in his last 10⅓ innings while retiring 34 of the last 36 hitters he's faced.
Kelly appeared to suffer a lower leg injury fielding a groundball Tuesday but he was able to stay in the game.
Jimenez update:
Eloy Jimenez is set to begin a rehab assignment with Class AA Birmingham on Wednesday and he should be back with the Sox early next week.
Jimenez is recovering from a May 6 appendectomy.