Luis Robert Jr. could be close to game action at the Chicago White Sox’s Arizona complex as he works his way back from a right hip flexor strain.
“We’re going to try to push him upwards to 90% (running) here shortly and hopefully get him into some games in Arizona later in the week and see how he responds,” Sox manager Pedro Grifol said Monday. “But the first test is going to be getting him going to the speed of the game a little bit before we put him in the game.
“So the next couple days, the next three or four days, is going to be critical for what happens at the end of the week.”
Grifol provided the injury update before Monday’s game against the Washington Nationals was postponed because of rain. It will be made up as part of a straight doubleheader beginning at 3:40 p.m. Tuesday at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Chris Flexen will start Game 1 for the Sox against the Nationals’ Trevor Williams. The Game 2 starters are Erick Fedde for the Sox and Mitchell Parker for the Nationals.
The Sox have been without Robert since April 6, when the All-Star center fielder went on the injured list after suffering the injury the previous night while running out a ninth-inning double against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
The plan calls for games in Arizona before Robert heads to a minor-league affiliate.
“The first part is just get him running over 90%, and then we’ll slowly get him into some games,” Grifol said. “It’s going to be a little bit of a process. You’re talking about a target number for at-bats, making sure he’s seeing the ball good. You’re talking about being able to run out infield base hits, balls in the gap.
“We’ve got to hit some markers before we put him out here. But he’s coming along really well.”
Robert is 6-for-28 (.214) with two doubles, two home runs and four RBIs in seven games this season. Grifol said it’s tough to measure what his absence has meant to the club.
“That’s unquantifiable,” Grifol said. “What you can quantify is what he brings to the table. His on-base percentage, his home runs, his RBIs, OPS, you name it. All that stuff, yes, you can quantify what it does to a lineup on the numbers.
“But what it does to the pitching on the other side when they’ve got Robert at the plate or Robert coming on deck or in the hole, I don’t think you can ever quantify that. He lengthens out the lineup in a way where it’s really unquantifiable, as far as the mindset that the pitcher has to have.”
Robert recently dealt with what Grifol called “a little bit of a setback” last week. But Grifol said Monday that Robert is “past that now.”
“We feel comfortable,” Grifol said. “We have the right people over there. We have our strength and conditioning (people), our sports science people, everybody there monitoring all that stuff. We’re in a good spot.”
Grifol also provided a status update on third baseman Yoán Moncada, who has been on the IL since April 10 with a left adductor strain. His timetable for returning is sometime after the All-Star break.
“He starts hitting left-handed today,” Grifol said. “He spent the whole week hitting right-handed. I’ve seen videos of him catching some ground balls and doing some drills. He’s a little further behind Robert, but he’s also coming along good.”
Infielder Danny Mendick said he’s on his way to Triple-A Charlotte for a rehab assignment. Mendick went on the IL retroactive to May 2 with lower back tightness.
“Two days ago I started to feel like, ‘Yeah, I’m ready to go,’” Mendick said Monday. “Going to head down to Charlotte, play a couple of games and then meet back up with the team.”
Reliever Dominic Leone, who went on the IL retroactive to May 5 with lower back tightness, might not need a rehab stint.
“He’s scheduled for a couple live BPs here and we’ll assess that,” Grifol said.
