Chicago White Sox designated hitter Eloy Jimenez is back after missing time with a hamstring injury. It caused Oscar Colas to get demoted back to Triple-A Charlotte.
However, that is not much of a big deal.
What is a big deal is Jimenez still appears to be injured. Jimenez appeared to be in a lot of discomfort getting out of the box on a single he hit in the seventh inning. He struggled to advance to third base on a double Gavin Sheets eventually hit.
It looks like it is another example of the Sox rushing a player who is still hurt back to the big leagues.
I truly don’t understand why they do things this way. He couldn’t run TODAY!!! Who thinks these are good decisions??? https://t.co/wICfsbLNVL
— Laurence Holmes (@LaurenceWHolmes) June 23, 2024
However, maybe this time it is not the organization rushing an injured player back.
In today's @SoxMachine Podcast, I asked @jrfegan why is Eloy Jimenez in the majors if not 100% healthy.
— Josh Nelson - Sox Machine (@soxmachine_josh) June 24, 2024
I thought James made a good point of why Eloy is forcing the issue to shed his injury prone reputation
Full episode: https://t.co/afu6zDjJo2 pic.twitter.com/Brpn5E1NX8
SoxMachine.com's James Fegan theorizes that this time it is Eloy wanting to come back a little sooner than probably should have been expected.
Eloy's injury history is tragic. It was gut-wrenching to watch him try to run the bases yesterday. If he is the one behind returning a little bit sooner than his body is ready, then let him take on the risk. It is a lost season, and with his injury history, there is no way the Sox are picking up his option next season.
However, it is foolish for him to think showing he can play through the pain will help his free-agent status this offseason. He has underachieved most of his career with a long list of injuries. That screams a one-year prove-it deal in the offseason.
Although, the front office at the very least should have had Jimenez play in at least two rehab assignments at any of their minor league affiliates. Eloy had not reported any soreness while he was healing up down at the team's Arizona spring training facility. The discomfort he felt happened yesterday according to Jimenez.
Eloy Jimenez, who came off the IL today, said he was experiencing soreness in the hamstring during today's game. It had not been sore in Arizona in the days leading to today, he said.
— Daryl Van Schouwen (@CST_soxvan) June 23, 2024
That is why players go on rehab stints in case they have any setbacks. Yesterday, was clearly a setback. Jimenez does not look like he is going back to the 10-day IL as he is in the lineup tonight against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Given his injury history, it is only a matter of time before he returns to the injured list.