He did it again. Eloy Jiménez injured himself on a ball he had no business catching. In yesterday's spring training game Lance Lynn gave up a home run to Sean Murphy in the second inning that turned out to have devastating consequences. He leaped up and hung on the left field fence like he was dunking a basketball. As he jumped off the fence he slowly fell to the ground gingerly. White Sox nation collectively held their breath.
This is the third time in three years that Jimenez has hurt himself trying to rob an uncatchable home run. During his rookie year he got his leg caught in the padding at Guaranteed Rate Field and went on the IL. Last season he bashed his head on the wall while attempting to track a Twins grand slam during the third game of the season that forced him to miss multiple games.
Eloy's adventures in left field have been well documented. Along with getting caught in the netting on multiple occasions he has also collided with his fellow outfielders. He went on the 10-day DL after bruising his elbow from a collision with Charlie Wilson in Kansas City. He even hurt himself celebrating Lucas Giolito's no hitter.
This recent installment of Eloy's bumbling escapades in left field could have devastating consequences on the White Sox season.
Jimenez To Undergo Surgery
Rick Hahn announced on Thursday that Eloy Jiménez has ruptured a left pectoral tendon. It will require surgery and his timeline to return is five to six months. If this is true then we won't see Jiménez until September.
This is a crushing blow to the White Sox lineup. Jiménez was coming off a great campaign in 2020. He hit .296 and launched 14 home runs in only 55 games. He has the power to hit 40 plus home runs a season. Meanwhile hitting coach Frank Menechino also said he has the ability to win a batting title. The White Sox will now have a huge hole in the middle of the lineup.
Possible Replacements In Left Field
That type of production is hard to replace. The White Sox don't pay Eloy to play defense, so poor instincts in the outfield costing them long term is very frustrating. To compound the agony, Jiménez is on a long term deal. If the White Sox want to keep him on the field in the future they may have to move him to DH permanently.
The White Sox are now scrambling to find a left fielder. The internal options include Leury Garcia, Billy Hamilton and Adam Engel. Adam Engel will not be ready for Opening Day so the front runner for the job is Leury Garcia.
Garcia is the longest tenured member on the White Sox and has shown the ability to put the ball in play. Billy Hamilton is fast but couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat. Adam Engel will probably get the job once he returns. The White Sox are also giving Andrew Vaughn a chance during the final games of Spring Training to see what he can do.
The White Sox could also opt to pick up a free agent. Yoenis Cespedes, Yasiel Puig and Josh Reddick are all available on the free agent market. All of them would be cheap short term solutions for this season. However each is still unsigned for a reason.
Puig has a sexual assault allegation against him, Cespedes opted out of last season in a bizarre turn of events and Reddick production has slowly deteriorated. There are not many good options at this point and time is running out.
Eloy Jimenez has shown very poor instincts in the outfield. He has now also earned the label of injury prone. The White Sox don't want to make a 24-year old a permanent DH but Rick Hahn's patience is running thin. He wants to protect his investment so unless he can figure it out, his days roaming left field may be numbered.
