Luis Robert Jr. 'Running Out Of Time' To Return To White Sox In 2025

CHICAGO –– With 17 games left in the season, the White Sox are bracing to be without center fielder Luis Robert Jr. the rest of the way.

Robert suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain on Aug. 26 while running to first base in the second inning of a 5-4 loss to the Royals. While they haven't officially ruled him out yet, White Sox manager Will Venable lacked optimism before Wednesday's 6:40 p.m. CT game at Rate Field against the Tampa Bay Rays.

"It feels like we're running out of time. No decisions have been made," Venable said. "We're still taking it day by day with him, but it feels like we're gonna be up against it. Some of the early progress [was] maybe not there to kind of get excited about momentum and getting to a spot where we could get him built back up and put him on the field. So yeah, we're not sticking the fork in him yet, but we acknowledge we're probably running out of time here."

That's in line with comments from general manager Chris Getz's comments on Aug. 27, who said Robert would miss several weeks but they didn't know precisely how long.

"At this point of the year, time is not necessarily a friend with players returning," Getz said. "So there is a chance that perhaps he doesn’t make it back by the end of the year. Our focus at this point is addressing the hamstring. It's unfortunate news."

Robert seemed to turn a corner after the All-Star break, slashing .298/.352/.456 with five home runs, 18 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases in 31 games since Jul 31, which made the timing of his injury especially unfortunate.

Robert got off to a slow start this year, batting below .200 in each month from April through June, and he went into the All-Star break with a career-low .599 OPS. Teams showed interest in Robert at the trade deadline, but not enough for Getz to move him.

Getz has another decision to make, as Robert has a club option for $20 million going into 2026. As of two weeks ago, the second-year general manager certainly seemed to be leaning in one direction.

"We are committed to Luis," Getz said. "You look back at what he’s done with our team. Even a little bit before the second half began, and he’s done really well against lefties and he’s had glimpses against righties. You look at the defense, the baserunning. He was showing everyone what he’s capable of doing. He can be such a boost to this lineup and this team and that’s why we are talking about it today because he is missed."

"Injuries are part of the game. They have unfortunately been part of his history. I think he’s played in about 110 games this season. And he’s really risen in terms of the impact on this team and the league. And a lot of that quality work happened in this second half window. For what he’s capable of doing, the talent, the impact he can have on this club, we like having Luis Robert here."

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