GLENDALE, Ariz. — The White Sox suffered a huge loss to their lineup Thursday with the news that left fielder Eloy Jimenez suffered a rupture of his left pectoral tendon. Jimenez will need surgery, and general manager Rick Hahn said the recovery is generally five to six months.
Jimenez suffered the injury in a Cactus League game Wednesday, eight days before the season opener.
“Obviously a difficult loss for us,” Hahn said Thursday. “An important part of our offense. And one that was a bit of a shock to the system.”
Jimenez, 24, was expected to be a force in the middle of a Sox lineup that ranked at or near the top in multiple categories last season. A Silver Slugger winner when he batted .293/332/.559 with 14 homers and 41 RBI in 55 games last season, Jimenez has been rounding into form in the last week or two of spring training. He collected his team-high 11th RBI of the spring with a single to right field in the first inning before getting hurt. In 2019, Jimenez led AL rookies with 31 homers, 79 RBI and 240 total bases.
Hahn said he looked forward to Jimenez “potentially joining us at a later date in the season.”
In the meantime, the Sox will look to internal options to fill the gap, a challenge heightened by the recent injury to Adam Engel. Hahn declined to comment on options outside the organization.
One possibility is Andrew Vaughn, a first baseman who is expected to open the season as the designated hitter. Vaughn, who has worked in left field at the alternate training site last season and has taken fly balls at camp this spring, will start in left field when the Sox play the Brewers Friday.
An outfield of Leury Garcia in left, Luis Robert in center and Adam Eaton in right is the likely Opening Day trio, it would seem.
Jimenez left Wednesday’s game against the Athletics with what the team said was left shoulder discomfort after attempting to make a leaping catch above the fence.
Jimenez, who remained down on the warning track for several moments after hanging over the fence with his left arm after the A’s catcher Sean Murphy homered against Lance Lynn, walked off with training staff, going straight to the trainer’s room.
Jimenez timed his leap well but he had no chance of catching the ball, and his left arm hung over the fence for a moment before he came back down.
Jimenez has been hurt in the outfield before, colliding with Charlie Tilson in Kansas City in 2019 and injuring his elbow. Against the Twins last July at Guaranteed Rate Field, he banged his head backing into the wall and missed a couple days under concussion protocol.
This injury only adds ammunition to those who say Jimenez, a subpar outfielder, should be a designated hitter.
“It’s unfortunate because the kid has worked hard on the defense and he was trying to make a play and that’s what cost him,” Hahn said. “You don’t want to take that desire out of him, that desire to make plays but at the same time he understands he’s far more valuable letting that ball fall in for a home run.”
The Sox’ outfield has been hit hard by injuries this spring. Outfielder Adam Engel is out for 2-4 weeks with a hamstring injury and won’t be available for Opening Day.
Leury Garcia, Billy Hamilton and Nick Williams represent the Sox’ depth behind Luis Robert, Adam Eaton, Jimenez and Engel.
The Sox open the season against the Angels in Anaheim, California, in seven days.
