Chicago White Sox: Eloy Jimenez should take his time
The Chicago White Sox should take their time with Eloy Jimenez.
The Chicago White Sox were able to get enough offense on Tuesday to get the win against the Oakland Athletics in the playoffs. Lucas Giolito pitched very well and deserved a win so the offense provided him with three massive home runs to get them a 4-1 victory. It came without one of their most impressive bats in the lineup in Eloy Jimenez. Jimenez is nursing an injury and should take his time coming back.
The reason he should take his time is the fact that they already have that massive first win without him. They have Dallas Keuchel on the mound for game two and might be able to close it out in two days. That would give Jimenez plenty of rest in time for the American League Division Series. If he is back to being 100 percent by then, this lineup will be even more dangerous.
Oakland has a ridiculously difficult left field defensively. Jimenez is already bad at playing his position and it could be even worse out there in Oakland. If they can get out of there without needing to use Eloy in that position, it will be a major win for them. He is good enough if he is healthy but it may be a struggle if his foot or leg is still bothering him.
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One thing that should keep fans optimistic is the fact that he is on the roster and available if they need him. If they feel he can make a difference by pinch-hitting, they won’t hesitate. He has the ability to run into one and drive it out of the park on any given pitch so it is a wonderful weapon to have in your back pocket. Hopefully, they win game two by a wide enough margin that they won’t have to think about it. He is a great player and the hope is that he can be ready in time for the next round if they get there.