Jose Abreu homers in return to White Sox lineup

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ARLINGTON, Texas — Jose Abreu’s balky finger didn’t seem to bother him much Wednesday night.

After missing the White Sox last three games due to a bruised/swollen right index finger, Abreu returned to the lineup Wednesday and went 2-5 with three RBIs and a 410-foot home run as the White Sox cruised to a 9-2 win over Texas at Globe Life Park.

“I feel good,” Abreu said through a translator. “I feel much better than a couple of days ago. Probably not 100 percent but I feel good enough to play.”

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Abreu thanked manager Robin Ventura and trainer Herm Schneider for helping him work through his finger pain after he began receiving treatment Friday. He was held out of the final two games against the Astros and Tuesday’s series opener in Arlington as the White Sox took a cautious approach to his recovery.

The plan will be for Abreu to DH for the next few games, since the bum finger is on his throwing hand and there remains the possibility it could flare up again.

“I think right now we would just to make sure throwing wise, the finger that it’s on is on his throwing hand,” Ventura said before Wednesday’s game. “We want to make sure that if something does happen, it could happen any day, we aren’t just talking because of this injury.”

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After the game, Ventura was more convinced Abreu was ready to return to being a fixture in the White Sox lineup.

“He seemed to be fine,” Ventura said with a hint of deadpan. “He felt strongly that he was fine today. It’s sometimes not as easy just to say okay and send him back out there. You maybe want to give him and extra day just to make sure he’s all right, but you’ve got to trust the player sometimes.”

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