Talk about a bad start to a ballgame.
The White Sox series finale with the division-rival Minnesota Twins turned into a disaster in a hurry Sunday, and though the scoreboard was painful for the South Siders, injuries to two key pieces could be more damaging.
All before the game was even nine outs old.
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Reynaldo López started this one, looking to begin a bounce-back season, but his first outing of 2020 looked all too familiar following a woefully inconsistent 2019 campaign. He gave up a first-inning grand slam, retiring just two of the nine batters he faced before leaving the game after 38 pitches and a visit from the trainer.
The team later announced López left the game with right shoulder tightness and that he will be re-evaluated Monday.
On that grand slam, Eloy Jiménez crashed into the left-field wall while tracking the fly ball, appearing to whack his head on the wall. He remained on his back on the warning track while the trainer came out to check on him. Jiménez earned the green light to stay in the game, which he did.
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But the following inning — which went even more poorly for Gio González than the first inning did for López, with the Twins scoring five runs in that frame — Jiménez departed. A deep fly ball to left off the bat of Eddie Rosario sent Jiménez jogging instead of running, and the ball dropped in for an RBI double. José Abreu noticed something might have been amiss with Jiménez, and he waved the trainer out again, this time with Jiménez heading back to the dugout.
The team later announced Jimémez left the game with light-headedness and that he was continuing to be evaluated.
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The loss of Jiménez for any amount of time would be tough news for a White Sox outfield and lineup already without right fielder Nomar Mazara, who was placed on the injured list last week. While the White Sox are hopeful Mazara could be back in action, requiring a rehab assignment of sorts in Schaumburg, as soon as next week, there is no official timetable for his return, with manager Rick Renteria saying Sunday nothing more than that Mazara is "progressing well."
Meanwhile, an injury to López could already force the White Sox to dip into their much ballyhooed pitching depth. If López does need to miss a start, the White Sox could turn to a number of options, perhaps González being the most logical to jump into the rotation. But Renteria could call on several other options, too, including Jimmy Lambert or Ross Detwiler, already on the active roster as part of the bullpen, or even Dane Dunning, who's part of the player pool training in Schaumburg.
Players have spent the run up to this shortened, 60-game season talking about the importance of a fast start and teams staying healthy. The White Sox were knocked around in two of their first three games by a potent Twins lineup. Now, they go to Cleveland for another important series with a division rival, potentially staring at a less-than-ideal health situation.