The White Sox welcomed Eloy Jimenez back from his rehabilitation assignment Sunday, and while the designated hitter went 1-for-4 with a run scored in an 11-2 loss to the Tigers, he navigated a stop-and-go circuit around the bases in discomfort.
Jimenez, who had been on the 10-day injured list for four weeks with a left hamstring strain, didn’t look comfortable running to first in the seventh inning on a ball hit down the third base line that caromed off the side wall. He moved gingerly from first to third on Gavin Sheets’ double and again when he scored on Nicky Lopez’ single.
After the game, Jimenez said he felt soreness during the game while reiterating he had felt fine at Arizona in the days leading to Sunday. Manager Pedro Grifol on Saturday said Jimenez ran at 90% in Arizona, and before the game Sunday said Jimenez was “ready to go.”
“I don’t think he would be here if he wasn’t. He’s been moving around pretty good,” Grifol said.
“He’s good to go.”
The soreness is something Jimenez will apparently try to play through — he will be in the lineup again Monday when the Sox open a three-game series at home against the Dodgers, a source said Monday.
From the dugout Sunday, Grifol gestured to Jimenez and pointed to his own hamstring as if to check on him. Jimenez indicated he was OK.
“I saw him run the first time, he ran just OK,” Grifol said after the game. “The last time he ran better. I’ll talk to our trainers before we leave.”
Before the game Jimenez, who has a long history of injury problems, said he was eager to play.
“I feel better,” he said. “I don’t have a percent right now [on the leg] to tell but it feels solid.”
Jimenez has regretfully had to answer questions about his health throughout his career. He takes them in stride, but the setbacks have been extremely frustrating.
“Yes, that is in the past already,” he said of his injuries. “Right now we’re here, and we’re just going to keep going.”
The Dodgers’ James Paxton will oppose the Sox’ Garrett Crochet in a duel of lefthanders Monday (7:10 p.m.). Crochet is 5-2 with a 1.68 ERA in his last 10 starts.
