CLEVELAND — Center fielder Luis Robert Jr. left the White Sox’ 4-2 victory over the Guardians with soreness in his right hip/quad area and is day to day.
Robert appeared to favor the area after retrieving Jose Ramirez’ triple off the right field wall in the eighth inning but finished the inning. Romy Gonzalez replaced Robert, who leads the Sox with 13 homers, in the ninth inning.
Robert missed three months with a right hip flexor strain in 2021. He has missed only one game this season. Manager Pedro Grifol downplayed the severity of this injury.
“Robert is just day to day,” Grifol said. “Has some soreness in his quad. But he’s good. I’m going to give him the day [off Wednesday].”
Burger could get time at second base
Jake Burger seems far from being groomed as an everyday second baseman, but the Sox are working him at second as they look for ways to keep his bat in the lineup when Eloy Jimenez returns from the injured list.
‘‘It’s past the exploratory stage,’’ Grifol said.
A third baseman by trade, Burger is batting .257/.315/.949 with 10 home runs in 106 plate appearances after striking out in all five at-bats Tuesday.
Yoan Moncada, whose back injury opened the door at third for Burger to show what he can do offensively, has the hot corner locked down. Jimenez will start a minor-league rehab assignment Wednesday and, while he is expected to get more playing time in right field when he returns, will get plenty of at-bats as the designated hitter.
Burger got his 11th start as the DH Tuesday. He continues to take grounders at second, where he appeared in three games last season, and it will be a challenge. He isn’t the best-fielding third baseman, and second requires more range and is more physically demanding.
‘‘If I feel it’s going to help us win, I’m doing it,’’ Grifol said. ‘‘He’s done it before. He looks OK over there.’’
‘‘But we’ll keep him in the [infield], play some third, first, working out at second. Looks pretty good over there.’’
It remains to be seen how much the defensively challenged Jimenez will play in right, but Grifol has made it clear he’ll play more there than he did before going on the IL with an appendectomy. And by opening a door at second for Burger, the Sox seem willing to sacrifice defense for offensive pop. When you’re 20-30, perhaps there isn’t much to lose.
‘‘Yeah, just don’t hurt us [at second base],’’ Grifol said. ‘‘We don’t need to make spectacular or great plays; we need to make the routine play and execute fundamentals and pitch and swing it.’’
Jimenez leaves for rehab assignment
Almost three weeks after having an appendectomy, Jimenez left Cleveland to join Double-A Birmingham for games against the Cubs’ Tennessee affiliate.
‘‘He’ll go down there for three, four days,’’ Grifol said. ‘‘We’ll evaluate him and see when we can add him.’’
It might be as soon as the start of the Sox’ next hometand Monday against the Angels.
This and that
Closer Liam Hendriks’ next live batting-practice session is Friday in Detroit, not Thursday, as Grifol indicated Monday.
- Second baseman Elvis Andrus will likely go on a rehab assignment sometime next week, Grifol said.
