White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada earns a day off

Yoan Moncada was one of two White Sox, along with Jose Abreu, to have played in each of the team’s first 40 games.

He had been going hard since spring training — taking extra infield work as he transitioned from second base to third and dedicating himself to improvement at the plate — so the promise of a first day off was fuel.

‘‘His motivation was a little bit of, ‘Listen, you’re going to have a day [off Tuesday], so I need you to be an animal tonight,’ is basically what I said,’’ manager Rick Renteria said before the Sox’ 9-0 loss to the Indians at Guaranteed Rate Field. ‘‘These guys have been pushing and grinding, and they have been fatigued a little bit. So anything you can do to get them through it.’’

Moncada’s animal act Monday featured two home runs, his eighth and ninth of the season, as he continues to develop into a budding star. Moncada is batting .289/.349/.528 with 19 extra-base hits and 28 RBI. He had been hitting .200 in May before going 3-for-4 on Monday.

‘‘I’ve just been feeling a little tired,’’ Moncada said through a translator. ‘‘But it’s nothing. I’m just 23 years old.’’

The day off was a welcome mental and physical breather, especially with Indians right-hander Carlos Carrasco pitching. Moncada is 0-for-12 with 10 strikeouts in his career against him. So it was quite the carrot from Renteria with the Sox in the middle of a stretch of 33 games in 33 days.

‘‘[Renteria] was telling me before the game [Monday], ‘Hey, keep your energy up,’ ’’ Moncada said. ‘‘I did it. I just kept pushing myself.’’

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Moncada will need every ounce of fuel to maintain his pace of 36 homers, 36 doubles, 113 RBI and 118 runs scored.

‘‘I’ve been trying to put in play all the knowledge I’ve been getting just to get [over any] slumps and try to keep performing at the level I know I can,’’ Moncada said. ‘‘It’s a game of adjustments.’’

Love for Abreu

General manager Rick Hahn might have offered his strongest take on Abreu’s future with the Sox when he appeared Tuesday on MLB Network.

Asked about the 32-year-old first baseman’s future with the Sox after his six-year contract expires at the end of the season, Hahn talked up Abreu’s value on the field and in the clubhouse, as always.

‘‘He’s been here throughout the early stages of this rebuild, and [it’s] certainly very likely he’ll be here in the more enjoyable stages that lie ahead of us,’’ Hahn said.

Hahn has been consistent in saying talks about a new deal likely will take place after the season.

This and that

Shortstop Tim Anderson stole his 13th base in 14 attempts.

• Abreu (1-for-4) has reached base in 21 of his last 23 games. He is hitting .340 with seven homers and 26 RBI during that stretch.