CHICAGO -- Eloy Jiménez doesn’t like the designated hitter’s role.
It’s an understandable objection, considering Jimenez is 22 and has worked diligently on a daily basis to improve defensively in left field. But with Jimenez reinstated from the 10-day injured list prior to Sunday’s series finale with the Twins, his job will be solely hitting-based for a short time as he finishes parts of his rehab work while being active.
“Right now, just assume we had sent him out on a rehab [assignment],” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “He was still going to have to go through his throwing program before he could get into the field, and he was still going to have to DH. In either case, it's either DH there or DH for us here. I'd rather have him DH for us here and get his bat back in the lineup.”
“It's hard to know or pay attention to the game as a DH. It's hard to be focused on the game when you DH. That's why I don't like being a DH,” Jimenez said. “I'm just going to play hard and let's see what happens.”
Jimenez suffered a bruised right ulnar nerve when colliding with Charlie Tilson on a Whit Merrifield fly ball in the first inning of a game on July 16 at Kauffman Stadium. Even though he has been taking full batting practice the past few days, Jimenez understands there might be a bit of a timing issue upon return.
When Jimenez suffered a high right ankle sprain chasing Grayson Greiner’s home run on April 26, he felt it took him about 1 1/2 weeks to feel right in the batter’s box after returning on May 20.
“Sometimes it's different. Sometimes I jump in and do good,” Jimenez said. “Last year in Triple-A, I was injured for 15 days and when I got back, you could see my numbers. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it takes time.”
This DH move certainly isn’t a permanent change in Renteria’s mind.
“He's too young for me to view him as a DH, to be honest,” Renteria said. “And he's shown so much improvement in the outfield that it would be, I think, derelict on my part and on our part as an organization to limit the ability for him to play on both sides of the baseball.”
To make room for Jimenez’s return, infielder José Rondón was designated for assignment. The White Sox 40-man roster is at 39.
When a player's contract is designated for assignment -- often abbreviated "DFA" -- that player is immediately removed from his club's 40-man roster, and 25-man roster if he was on that as well. Within seven days of the transaction (it was previously 10 days), the player must either be traded, released or placed on irrevocable outright waivers.
Abreu, McCann get a rest
Monday’s scheduled off-day for the White Sox gave Renteria a chance to rest veterans José Abreu and James McCann for two consecutive days with neither one starting Sunday against the Twins.
A smiling Renteria shared an interesting anecdote involving Abreu, who always tries to convince his manager to avoid those days of inactivity. Sunday marked his first day off this season.
“He comes into my office every night kind of yelling at me, and so yesterday he was coming in and I said, 'You're not going to convince me, you're not getting in the lineup, so don't say a thing,’” Renteria said. “So, he said he was going to have to call his mom today to make sure she doesn't get too upset because she sees him as a grinder, and he's got to get out there.
“And he talks to her, and she's probably going to be upset he's not in the lineup. So, I said, 'That's OK, if you need me to, I'll talk to her.’”
Renteria and the White Sox have been counting quite a bit on Abreu and McCann with Jimenez and Tim Anderson out of the lineup.
He Said It
“He came in and just showed everybody that he didn’t belong there.” –- right-handed pitcher Andrew Dalquist, the White Sox third-round pick in the 2019 Draft, on Andrew Vaughn, the White Sox top pick and third selection overall, and his .600 average over three games with the Arizona Rookie League squad, where Dalquist is also working