Chicago White Sox star center fielder Luis Robert Jr. has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a right flexor strain, the team announced Saturday. He exited Friday night's 2-1 loss against the Kansas City Royals (box score) after suffering the injury running the bases, according to James Fegan of Sox Machine. Robert began to hobble after connecting with first base on a ninth-inning double. He did reach second base, but only after hopping most of the way on his left leg.
Robert was subsequently lifted in favor of pinch-runner and utility infielder Braden Shewmake. Here's the injury:
Robert entered Friday night's contest slashing .208/.240/.500 (108 OPS+) with two home runs in his first six games of the season. He went 1-for-4 against the Royals with the aforementioned double. Robert is undoubtedly the White Sox's best player, meaning that any kind of absence for him would further sink a club that is now 1-6 on the season following Friday's defeat.
The 26-year-old Robert has, unfortunately, garnered a reputation for being injury prone. This is his fifth season in the majors, yet he's appeared in more than 100 games in just one of his previous three regulation-length campaigns. To his credit, he did play in 56 of Chicago's 60 games during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season. Still, even this kind of injury isn't new for Robert, who missed three months because of a right hip flexor injury in 2021.
Robert joins designated hitter Eloy Jiménez on the shelf. (The White Sox placed Jiménez, sidelined since Sunday because of a left adductor strain, on the IL earlier Friday; in a corresponding move, they purchased the contract of veteran outfielder Robbie Grossman.) Kevin Pillar would likely take over in center field, though the White Sox do have several other options available at Triple-A Charlotte, including Zach DeLoach and Brett Phillips.
Infielder Lenyn Sosa was called up to fill Robert's roster spot. The White Sox will continue their series with the Royals on Saturday.
