Chicago White Sox Rule All-Star Luis Robert Jr. Out For Season Due to MCL Injury
Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. has been ruled out for the rest of the season with an MCL sprain in his left knee, the team announced Tuesday.
Robert was placed on the 10-day injured list ahead of the White Sox's series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Chicago described Robert's injury – which he suffered Sunday against the Boston Red Sox – as mild, but the club gave him a recovery timeline of two-to-four weeks.
To fill out the major league roster in Robert's absence, the White Sox selected the contract of outfielder Tyler Naquin from Triple-A Charlotte. In a related move, Chicago transferred right-handed pitcher Jimmy Lambert to the 60-day IL following successful surgery on his right ankle last week.
Robert had shown flashes of star potential ever since entering MLB in 2020, but hip, wrist and hand injuries repeatedly held him back from truly breaking out.
After appearing in 56 of 60 games in his COVID-shortened rookie campaign, Robert was limited to 68 games in 2021 and 98 in 2022. The center fielder was able to rack up 36 home runs, 130 RBI and 26 stolen bases with a .289 batting average and .808 OPS in that time, but spread out over 222 games in three years.
Robert made his first All-Star Game in 2023, batting .264 with 38 home runs, 80 RBI, 20 stolen bases and an .857 OPS. Most importantly, Robert was able to appear in 145 games before getting shut down Tuesday, only missing 11 games prior to that point.
The White Sox floundered overall in 2023, as they currently sit at 60-96 despite entering the year with legitimate postseason hopes.
Robert is set to return to anchor Chicago's lineup as they look to rebound in 2024 and beyond. He has as many as four years left on the $50 million contract extension he inked with the White Sox back in 2020.
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