Injuries & Moves: Robert Jr. exits with left knee soreness
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Sept. 24: OF Luis Robert Jr. leaves with left knee soreness
Robert Jr. walked in the first inning of Sunday's series finale at Fenway and then swiped second, giving him 20 stolen bases for the season to go with 38 homers and 36 doubles, but he seemed to injure his left knee on the slide. He was replaced by Trayce Thompson in the bottom of the second, and will be re-evaluated Monday in Chicago.
Sept. 24: RHP Jesse Scholtens placed on 15-day IL; RHP Declan Cronin recalled from Triple-A Charlotte
Scholtens injured himself while running pregame sprints at Fenway Park on Sept. 23. He'll finish the season with a 1-9 record and a 5.29 ERA over 26 games (11 starts). Cronin, who was reinstated from the injured list and optioned to Charlotte on Sept. 23, began his third stint with the White Sox this season. Cronin has an 11.74 ERA and six strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings this season.
Sept. 22: RHP Michael Kopech placed on 15-day IL; RHP Yohan Ramirez recalled from Triple-A Charlotte
Kopech underwent successful surgery Friday morning to remove a cyst from his right knee in a procedure performed at Rush Oak Brook Surgery Center by Dr. Nikhil Verma, the White Sox lead team doctor. Full recovery time is expected to take between 6-8 weeks.
Kopech went 5-12 with a 5.43 ERA and 134 strikeouts over 30 games (27 starts) this season.
Ramirez went 1-0 with a 3.67 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 26 relief appearances over three stints with Pittsburgh this season before he was designated for assignment on Sept. 1. He was claimed off waivers by the Sox on Sept. 5 and made four appearances with Charlotte.
INJURY UPDATES
10-day and 15-day IL
RHP Gregory Santos (right elbow inflammation)
Expected return: 2024
The White Sox decided to shut Santos down for precautionary reasons after he reported discomfort in his right elbow. Manager Pedro Grifol said Sept. 20 that the severity of the injury was not yet clear, but that Santos would undergo further testing in subsequent days to better gauge the extent of the issue.
A bright spot amid a dismal year for the White Sox relief corps, the 24-year-old Santos made the club out of Spring Training and finished the year as Chicago’s closer, pitching to a 3.39 ERA with five saves and 66 strikeouts in 60 appearances in 2023. (Last updated: Sept. 20)
RHP Jimmy Lambert (right ankle inflammation)
Expected return: Possibly late September
Lambert has had some ankle discomfort for a while, according to manager Pedro Grifol. The righty is 2-3 with a 5.26 ERA and one save in 35 games (one start) this season.
"It's something we want to address now, Grifol said. "It's on the turn [of his windup], not on the push-off." (Last updated: Sept. 4)
60-day IL
INF Romy Gonzalez (right shoulder inflammation)
Expected return: 2024
Gonzalez, 26, had surgery to repair a labrum tear in his right shoulder over the All-Star break. It was an injury dating back to college. He will be ready and healthy for the start of Spring Training. (Last updated: Aug. 11)
RHP Liam Hendriks (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: 2025
Chicago announced Hendriks' surgery prior to a game against the Rangers on Aug. 2. His recovery time is listed at 12-14 months, which could mean the end of his tenure with the club. The White Sox have a $15 million option on him for 2024; if they decline it, it will instead be paid out in 10 installments of $1.5 million through '33. (Last updated: Aug. 2)
RHP Matt Foster (right forearm strain)
Expected return: 2024
Foster underwent Tommy John surgery on April 19, ending his 2023 campaign.
Prior to the surgery, Foster hadn't pitched since March 5, when he threw a scoreless inning against the Dodgers during Spring Training. (Last updated: April 21)