Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. was absent from Sunday’s starting lineup after he was caught not hustling up the line on a grounder during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Robert only jogged to first base after bouncing the ball to pitcher Calvin Faucher in the first inning of Saturday’s game, which led to boos from the home crowd. White Sox manager Pedro Grifol pulled Robert from the game and replaced him with a pinch hitter in the second inning. The team went on to lose 12-3, extending their losing streak to 10 games.
Robert admitted that he was playing through right hamstring tightness over the weekend and should have told Grifol how he was feeling. However, Grifol said that Robert’s tight hamstring was the reason why he was absent from Sunday’s game, not his lack of effort during Saturday’s game.
Robert Jr. Struggling at the Plate
Robert, one of the team’s top sluggers, is having a difficult start to the season, batting just .102 (6 for 59) with 21 strikeouts in his last 16 games. Despite this, Grifol spoke highly of Robert’s work ethic and attitude, stating that he “works their butt off, plays hard every day and wants to win games, crashing into walls in the outfield, going from gap to gap.” Grifol attributed Robert’s lack of hustle to a communication issue rather than a recurring problem.
In addition to Robert’s absence, outfielder Andrew Benintendi was also out of the lineup after being hit by a pitch on Friday. However, Grifol stated that Benintendi was feeling much better and could potentially play in Tuesday’s game against the Minnesota Twins. Shortstop Tim Anderson and infielder Hanser Alberto are also expected to return for Tuesday’s game after rehab assignments with Triple-A Charlotte. Anderson suffered a left knee sprain on April 10, while Alberto is recovering from a strained left quad.
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