Chicago White Sox: Luis Robert shines in return to lineup

The Chicago White Sox have been without Luis Robert’s stellar defense and explosive bat since early May but have remained atop the AL Central in his absence. On Monday night, they saw their gold glove-winning star center fielder return to the lineup for the first time since tearing his right hip flexor on May 2nd in a game against the Cleveland Indians at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Robert returned to the lineup by starting in center field and batting seventh in the lineup behind guys like Eloy Jimenez, Yoan Moncada, and Brian Goodwin, who will help Robert ease himself back into the lineup with the quality at-bats they provide.

Robert shined in his first game back from injury. He made a stellar catch in center field and went 2-5 at the plate, hitting a double and a single while driving in a run and striking out once. Robert is now slashing .320/.361/.470 in his limited play this season. He has shown growth since making his debut during the 2020 shortened season.

Although it may have gone unnoticed, Robert also changed up his batting stance a bit. He now appears more open at the plate, which will help him see the ball better and allow him to lay off some of the pitches he struggled with early on in his career.

The Chicago White Sox loved having Luis Robert back in the mix on Monday.

Robert said post-game that he still had some fear in his mind, but that will fade with more reps in games and getting comfortable again. LaRussa is not afraid to give his players some rest and we’ll be sure to see him ease Robert back into the majors with some days off here and there. With about two months of regular season baseball left, Robert doesn’t need to rush to get back into the swing of things. He needs to go at his own pace to regain his comfortability in the field and at the plate.

With the White Sox getting Eloy back two weeks ago and Robert returning now, the team now has two of their most dangerous hitters back in the lineup for the first time all season. The White Sox are now awaiting the return of Yazmani Grandal and we will soon be able to see the team at full strength this season.

With a tough few weeks ahead of them based on their schedule, Robert’s return will surely bring more energy, more explosiveness, and more defensive prowess to a lineup that has true World Series potential.