The Chicago White Sox were off yesterday but there was plenty of World Baseball Classic action going on. The Sox players that have been suiting up for Team Cuba and Team USA have been getting a lot of love but there is another player that deserves his credit.
That player is Eloy Jimenez who is one of the best power hitters in all of baseball. His issue has been health for almost his entire career up to this point but right now he looks healthy and ready to go.
He wasn't in the Dominican Republic lineup for the first game and they lost but they were smart enough to get him in for the second game.
Jimenez hit fifth and played right field for the DR. Of course, White Sox fans loath the idea of him playing right field because of health reasons but he certainly did just fine in this game.
Eloy Jimenez was awesome for Team Dominican Republic on Monday.
He went two for four and had an RBI in the contest to help his team secure a 6-1 victory over Nicaragua. It was outstanding to see him inserted into the lineup and get results right away.
With superstars like Juan Soto, Julio Rodriguez, Manny Machado, and Rafael Devers amongst others in that lineup, it is easy to see why the playing time might be down but Jimenez is right there with a lot of these stars when he is healthy, and at his best.
Getting that win was huge for them as they are still alive in the tournament. After losing their first game, they are now 1-1 and sitting in third place in Group D. They are going to need some help to advance most likely but they should have a chance on the final day.
It would serve them well to win out so they can jump one of Venezuela or Puerto Rico. They can probably be pretty confident that they will finish ahead of Nicaragua and Israel. In fact, their next game with Israel is a must-win ahead of their final group play game against Puerto Rico.
As White Sox fans, it would be nice to see Jimenez be a big part of his country advancing. He should, based on his performance in this big win, get the chance again. Their roster is great but there is no reason he shouldn't be in the lineup.