Crucial Blow
It does not take a genius to realize how important Robert Jr. is to the White Sox. He is easily the best player on the team and was arguably the only reason to watch the games this season in the first place. The White Sox have only scored 13 runs in 7 games this season, and that was with Robert Jr. in the lineup. Should Robert Jr. be sidelined for an extended period, things could get really ugly. The team also saw Eloy Jiménez head to the injured list just this morning because of a left adductor strain, so they have possibly lost two of their best hitters within 24 hours.
Robert Jr.’s Previous Hip Flexor Injury
Robert Jr. dealt with the same hip flexor issue in 2021 and missed over three months because of it. Hopefully, this new injury is less severe, but his prior injury history does not paint a promising picture. Jonathan Lee also reported that outfielder Oscar Colás was pulled from his AAA game tonight following Robert Jr.’s injury, presumably as his replacement at the MLB level. The fact that Colás got pulled that fast indicates that Robert Jr. will go on the injured list. It is just a matter of how long.
This injury is a crushing blow for the team and Robert Jr. individually. He is coming off the best season of his career. Robert Jr. hit 36 doubles and 38 home runs and was an All-Star for the first time in 2023. He played 145 games last season, his career high by a significant amount. It now seems unlikely he will reach that number of games played again this year. Injuries will derail yet another season of his career.
Others Must Step Up
With Robert Jr. likely sidelined for months, other players must step up in his absence. Because of this development, Oscar Colás will likely receive the most additional playing time. Colás struggled mightily in the majors in 2023 but is hitting .381 with a 1.036 OPS in a small sample size in AAA this season. Dominic Fletcher’s playing time could also increase due to this injury, as he can handle center field if needed. Kevin Pillar and Robbie Grossman’s playing time will likely increase as well, given that they are the other outfielders on the roster. While this situation is unfortunate, hopefully another player will make the most of this unexpected opportunity.
Let’s hope Robert Jr.’s injury is not as severe as it sounds for his sake and ours. But this is another significant blow in a season full of them. And we are only in the first week of April. It could be a very long season on the south side of Chicago.
With Robert out, this is a truly faceless team with no leadership, not that Robert is any kind of leader. That Grifol was brought back this year after the debacle that was last year speaks volumes about Reinsdorf not giving a shit what the fans think. Why support this team any longer? Why would you pay to see this team? I’ve been a fan since 1963 and I’ve never been more embarrassed of calling myself a fan. Sell the damn team Jerry, do the decent thing.
Only solution: new ownership! Playing better defense and small ball is great with a good pitching staff, but is also very CHEAP for a multi-billionaire. No real loyalty to Chicago or the fans. His types should never have been allowed to be owners in baseball and football, just NBA basketball.