DETROIT — Another day, another injury for the White Sox.
Catcher Yasmani Grandal, the team’s hottest hitter and a potential All-Star, left the game Friday against the Tigers with tightness in his left calf. He was replaced by Zack Collins to start the Tigers’ half of the fifth inning.
“It doesn’t look like it’s anything serious, but he won’t catch tomorrow,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said.
Grandal collected his 38th RBI with a -single in the first against Casey Mize and scored from first on Brian Goodwin’s triple. He also made a running catch of a pop-up near the screen in the third. It was not immediately known when the injury occurred.
Grandal has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games, going 12-for-35 with four homers and 14 RBI.
The Sox opened a nine-game road trip -Friday heading into the All-Star break. The Sox, who took a five-game lead in the American League Central into the game, are playing without Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, Nick -Madrigal, Yoan Moncada and Adam Engel because of injuries.
Hahn talks trades
Nothing has materialized from the Eduardo Escobar trade rumor — one report had the second baseman already on his way to the White Sox five days ago — and general manager Rick Hahn was typically coy on trade talk in general on a Zoom call.
“It’s really impossible for me to predict when any deals will happen,” Hahn said. “More things tend to happen with the [July 30] deadline in everyone’s face. That said, we’re putting forth a strong and consistent effort, and we’ll see what happens here.”
The Sox are feeling less pressure to add offense to the outfield, what with Jimenez and Robert possibly returning from injuries in August and a cast of fill-ins patching things up. Escobar would be a substantial upgrade at second base with Madrigal out for the season, but the Sox aren’t the only team with interest.
An arm or two to shore up the bullpen is also being sought.
“Nothing’s done until it’s absolutely done, so I’m very hesitant to project out or predict when anything’s going to come to fruition,” Hahn said. “A lot of work is being put in. We’ll see what happens.”
Jimenez, Robert updates
The Sox hope that Jimenez and Robert, who have resumed baseball activities in Arizona, could return from their injuries by August.
Hahn said the next updates on the pair ideally will be given when they’re sent for -minor-league rehab assignments.
“At that point, a 20-day clock begins,” Hahn said. “If everything goes smoothly in that time period, you’ll see them back in -Chicago.”
Hahn said the front office visualizes different scenarios of how the team will look in the final two months, “both with internal options and potentially anything from outside.”
Eaton returns
Adam Eaton, who hadn’t played since June 14 -because of a strained right hamstring, was reinstated and played right field. He was batting .195 with five homers in 54 games. Eaton, 32, said more than the hamstring has been ailing him.
“A little bit of everything,” he said. “When one thing goes a little haywire ... you break a little bit of the chain and some of the links of the chain don’t want to operate quite as well. We are in a good place.”
