SURPRISE, Ariz. — Designated hitter Eloy Jimenez already has suffered his first injury. On the plus side, it’s minor. Jimenez is day-to-day with a bruised right foot, the White Sox said Thursday.
Jimenez fouled a pitch off the foot during his first plate appearance against the Reds on Wednesday. He batted two more times and was lifted for a pinch runner after getting hit by a pitch in the sixth inning.
“When he came in today, it was hurting a little bit. We just took an X-ray to make sure, give us and him some peace of mind,” manager Pedro Grifol said.
“Just a bone bruise. He’ll be off today; we’ll see how he shows up [Friday].”
Jimenez was off to a torrid start this spring but has cooled off with three hits in his last 20 at-bats. He’s carrying a .348/.375/.500 hitting line with 12 RBI in 48 plate appearances.
Jimenez’s injury history is well-documented. He has been used as a DH this spring, as the Sox place an emphasis on improved defense while also limiting Jimenez’s chances of getting hurt in the outfield.
Opening Day is Thursday, with four Cactus League games left and a game against Triple-A Charlotte on Monday.
Crochet not stellar this time
After allowing zero runs and zero walks in nine innings and earning a surprising nod to start Opening Day, left-hander Garrett Crochet allowed three runs, five hits and a walk while striking out two in 3‰ innings against the Royals. There was plenty of hard contact, including Nick Pratto’s fourth spring homer.
“Good and bad,” Crochet said. “[But] felt like it was a good day. You kind of look at the box and it’s like, all right, maybe not a good day, but I feel like there’s a lot of positive stuff to take away.”
Crochet, who touched 100 in his first outing but topped out at 97 on the scoreboard, was pulled in the second inning as his pitch count climbed. He reentered in the third and finished with a perfect fourth, totaling a spring-high 80 pitches — 49 for strikes.
Crochet has six days of rest before the opener and could pitch the fourth game of the season on four days of rest, Grifol said. But the first-time starter coming off elbow and shoulder injuries will have his innings and workload monitored.
“Arm’s been feeling good, recovering well,” Crochet said. “Having seven days doesn’t hurt. That will be nice. Excited to kind of lead the charge for the team.”
No pitches off for Vaughn
First baseman Andrew Vaughn, batting .308/.339/.462 after having a seven-game hitting streak halted, said his goal in 2024 is simple.
“Don’t take a single pitch off,” Vaughn said. “That’s going to be my biggest thing. Be ready to hit every single pitch, have that mindset.”
Taking the fifth
Nick Nastrini, vying to make his major-league debut and possibly earn a spot in the starting rotation, starts against the Mariners on Saturday, while Drew Thorpe looks to recover from his rough start Monday against the Guardians as he starts in a minor-league game. Nastrini and Thorpe are each slated for five innings.
Grifol said a fifth starter will be needed for the sixth game, on April 3 against the visiting Braves.
Sox 3, Royals 3
Garrett Crochet’s last start was lackluster, but Jordan Leasure, John Brebbia, Tim Hill and Deivi Garcia (four strikeouts in two innings) combined for five scoreless innings. Garcia stranded a potential walk-off run at third base. The Sox are 8-17-3.
† Brebbia made his first appearance since suffering from a right calf strain. Barring a setback, he expects to be ready for Opening Day.
† A day after going 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position, the Sox were 3-for-7. Martin Maldonado caught Crochet for the first time and doubled and drove in a run.
† Chris Flexen allowed one run, four hits and two walks with four strikeouts in 4⅔ innings in a B game at the Guardians. The Sox won 4-2.
† Manager Pedro Grifol raved about former Brad Keller’s second two-inning live batting practice on Wednesday. Keller will open at Triple-A Charlotte but could join the team in April. “We’re really excited about what’s going on there. He looks great on the mound, he has great presence. He kind of looks like what he looked like when he first got to us in Kansas City.”
† On deck: Athletics (ss) at Sox (ss), 3:05 p.m., Glendale, Joe Boyle vs. Jake Woodford; Sox(ss) at Angels, 3:05 p.m., Tempe, Jonathan Cannon vs. Jose Soriano.
