The Chicago White Sox are gearing up for the playoffs. They have dealt with a lot this season and still managed to come out of it as a World Series contender in late September. Now, they are working on staying as healthy as possible as they head towards the postseason. The latest edition of that is Jose Abreu getting some rest.
Abreu is the type of player who rarely ever accepts being rested for no reason. He doesn’t even like sitting out when there is an injury issue. It just isn’t something that you ever see when you watch Chicago White Sox baseball.
It is evident when you think about the fact that he is leading the White Sox with 142 games played. That is nine more than Yoan Moncada who is in second place with 133 games played. Abreu has had a lot of wear and tear this season as he gets beaned as much as any player in the league. He plays so hard every game too so this is very impressive.
The reason this is a topic of conversation is that he was out of the lineup on Monday against the Detroit Tigers. Gavin Sheets played first in his spot. This was a big surprise because Abreu almost never sits a game out unless he is injured. Seeing him get a day to “rest” is very unusual but necessary at this point of the season.
The Chicago White Sox needs Jose Abreu at full strength for the postseason.
Abreu has also never played on a team that had the playoffs all but locked up so early. In fact, 2020 was the only season that he made the playoffs at all and they only played 60 games. Their position in those playoffs also came down to the final day so they didn’t have this luxury.
It is possible that Abreu is less resistant to this idea for the rest of the season as he knows what is at stake. They have a team that is good enough to win the World Series so it is up to them to give themselves the best chance. Having a healthy Abreu is a big key to them having that aforementioned chance.
Expect Abreu to have similar playing time right now to Tim Anderson. He has been playing a little more than every other day to rest his legs up for the playoffs. It is a smart move for anyone that is currently dealing with something. Once they are clinched, you might see it a little more often too. They need to have the perfect combo of rest and confidence going into the playoffs.