GLENDALE, Ariz. — Eloy Jimenez is back in the White Sox lineup, as a designated hitter, for their Cactus League night game Monday against the Mariners in Peoria.
Jimenez, the No. 4 prospect in baseball who made a big splash over the weekend with a pinch home run against the Cubs Saturday and then a homer, triple and four-pitch walk in three plate appearances Sunday against the Diamondbacks, has missed most of spring training with tendinitis in his left knee.
His only previous at-bat came against the Dodgers in the spring opener on Feb. 23. Jimenez entered the game late and struck out.
But he came back from his time off looking like he hadn’t missed a beat.
“It’s hard to believe all the things he’s doing,” Sox right-hander Reynaldo Lopez said. “When you see a guy like him with his talent but he’s always talking about how pitchers are going to pitch him, how he prepares for specific pitching, and counts. It’s impressive. I don’t know how he does it, but it shows you he’s special. He has a lot of talent.”
Dylan Cease, the top pitching prospect who came with Jimenez in the blockbuster trade for left-hander Jose Quintana, will start for the Sox. Cease has also had a good spring, recording two scoreless appearances including a start against the A’s. In 3 1/3 innings, Cease has struck out five, walked two and allowed two hits.
Here is how the Sox will line up vs. left-hander Marco Gonzales:
Adam Engel CF, Leury Garcia SS, Avisail Garcia RF, Matt Davidson 3B, Eloy Jimenez DH, Casey Gillaspie 1B, Jose Rondon 2B, Zack Collins C, Luis Basabe.
By the way, the Mariners’ announced lineup misspelled Jimenez’ first name. As they say, it’s spring training for the lineup copiers, too.
