MINNEAPOLIS — The White Sox lost the first two games of a series to the first place Twins, and while Sunday’s series finale wouldn’t seem to matter much to a team trailing Minnesota by 11 games in the AL Central and falling to a season-worst 18 games below after Saturday’s 3-2 loss, don’t tell that to manager Pedro Grifol.
Sox oft-injured designated hitter Eloy Jimenez, still showing the effects of a left groin issue that sidelined him Tuesday and Wednesday against the Mets, will play through it Sunday, Grifol said.
“I’m not giving him a day tomorrow,” Grifol said Saturday night. “He’s playing tomorrow. We’ve got to win that ballgame tomorrow.”
Jimenez, who was 1-for-3 and walked in the eighth inning before being pinch-run for, has been running at less than full speed, sometimes jogging, on routine outs as Grifol has encourage him to do since he returned to the lineup against the Mets Thursday.
“I’m glad you mentioned that because he’s not running down the line and I choose to put him in there with that kind of effort down the line,” Grifol said. “I want his bat over his legs. I want to make sure I get that out there clearly for everybody. I choose his bat over his legs. That’s all he can give us.”
On Tuesday in New York, Grifol said Jimenez was available to pinch hit, then said he didn’t because he didn’t want to risk Jimenez aggravating it.
“I’ll continue to monitor that and if I think it becomes a problem for us where he’s going to get hurt or compromise us in any way running the bases, then I’ll make a change,” Grifol said Saturday. “But for right now I’m choosing his bats over his legs.”
Jimenez is batting .277/.321/.466 with 12 homers and 12 RBI in 65 games.
