Eloy Jiménez hasn’t played for the White Sox since April 23, when he tore a hamstring tendon while running to first base. Initially the White Sox said his window to return would be between six to eight weeks, and we’re well beyond that now. But on Friday, Tony La Russa said the star left fielder is “getting closer” to returning.
“Is he close? I can’t answer that,” La Russa said. “I know he’s getting closer, he’s doing more, but I don’t know, I’d be surprised if he got back in the early parts of next week. I don’t think he’s that close. But he’s improving.”
Jiménez is in the middle of his second rehab stint as he works back from the surgery required to fix his hamstring tendon. He was playing with Triple-A Charlotte in early June when he needed to pause his rehab due to what the team called “normal leg soreness.”
“It's not a new injury,” Rick Hahn said when the team announced Jiménez had to stop his rehab. “It’s not a reaggravation. It’s part of the process. It’s part of the process that is slowing us down a little bit. It should not have any long term effect on him other than slowing his return to Chicago.”
Hahn also clarified that Lance Lynn and Yasmani Grandal experienced similar symptoms when they worked back from their own injuries. Jiménez got back to work on June 20, and since then the team has been taking his rehab slowly.
“He certainly doesn’t want to get hurt again, so he’s been having to be careful with it, and we’re encouraging him to be careful,” La Russa said. “So he’s building up slowly, and nobody’s rushing him.”
In 11 games this season Jiménez slashed .222/.256/.333 with one home run and seven RBI.
