KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Eloy Jiménez was part of team stretch and took batting practice at Kauffman Stadium Thursday afternoon, upping his activity level as Pedro Grifol floated the idea that he could be available to pinch hit.
Four days after feeling a sudden pull in his groin on what he felt could have been an infield single Sunday against the Tigers, Jiménez was unsure how soon that could morph into a return to the lineup. He still feels the adductor issue while running, and while it reminds him of an issue he dealt with last year, the whole affair also reminds him of the compendium of injuries that have hijacked his career.
"It is frustrating, you know?" Jiménez said. "Right now it's just, [turn] the page and keep going. Things are going to happen. Sometimes I want to go home, but I don't want to give up like that. I'm going to keep working. I'm going to be here for my team."
Following up, Jiménez clarified that the "want to go home" line is an expression of how frustrating being sidelined with injuries has become for him at times.
"Remembering all these years with everything that happened, it's really frustrating. Especially when you've been feeling good and you've been preparing yourself good and something happens. But at the end of the day, I'm a warrior. I'm going to keep pushing and I'm going to keep working and I'm going to be there."
Jiménez has certainly been more upset at times about more significant injuries, but this was as reflective about how frustrating the last few years have been that most of us beat writers have seen him. Still, he tied his media session up at the end with some optimism that one day his luck will turn.
"At some point it's going to," Jiménez said. "I know some day it's going to be another side."
The fifth starter slot
Mike Clevinger has not gone beyond three simulated innings while throwing on his own prior to signing, and is not expected to be ready before the end of the month. By that point, the White Sox will have long since faced a choice on their fifth starter situation.
Or so you would assume.
Pedro Grifol pointed out that weather in Cleveland next week could again excuse the Sox from making a decision when the fifth slot comes up on Monday. While Nick Nastrini is lined up for it based on his outing Wednesday night, Chris Getz revealed earlier Thursday that the rookie right-hander had been briefly shut down with an illness. While that dissipates some long-term concern about Nastrini sitting 91-94 mph across 70 pitches and three ineffective innings against Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday, Grifol sounded disinclined against making the 24-year-old's next outing a major league debut.
"You never want that first start to be a start where you’re not 100 percent ready," Grifol said.
Brad Keller is set to throw a three-inning outing at Arizona this week, but still isn't at an affiliate yet and wouldn't appear to be near-ready either. Getz said the Sox would want him, or any fifth starter candidate stretched out to at least five innings. The White Sox aren't praying for rain, but wouldn't mind if it kept them from unlocking that Dominic Leone-fronted bullpen day game plan they hinted at on Wednesday.
"We have been able to operate with essentially four starters and an extra guy in the bullpen," Getz said. "We’ve been able to do that with off days, and inclement weather. But at some point, we will have a fifth starter and we’ve got some candidates to fill that role."
The Grossman cometh
Robbie Grossman hit two homers in his Triple-A Charlotte debut and reached base three more times on Wednesday, so even factoring in the offensive environment, it can feel a little silly to relay that a scout in attendance thought he looked near-ready. At least the White Sox GM also agrees.
"Possibly the next week," Getz said for Grossman's readiness for the majors. "He’s been putting together some really solid at-bats, highlighted by the two-home run, grand slam game. We are talking about an accomplished major league hitter that gets on base, a switch-hitter. Can play multiple spots in the outfield and so he’s a guy that we are talking about right now. It’s just a matter of timing, the right timing for him to join our major league club."
Jiménez's injury issues would have provided an obvious immediate use for Grossman, but his arrival seems contingent on figuring out if/how his roster presence would align with Kevin Pillar's. But baseball is too chaotic to even assume that will be the issue at top of mind for the Sox offense by next week.
Farewell, Popeye
José Rodríguez has clearly fallen out of the mix for White Sox upper-level middle infield depth, and the out-of-zone chase issues that scouts have decried for a few years now haunted his brief time at Triple-A Charlotte. But as a 22-year-old middle infielder who hit 21 homers last year (mostly in Birmingham), and who was touted as a top prospect in the organization a couple years ago, it's been a swift fall to getting designated for assignment to make 40-man roster room for Clevinger.
At this stage, a trade might be just as likely of a way for the Sox to recoup value as Rodríguez clearing waivers. But either way, the team is no longer treating the man they call Popeye as if he will vault over his last developmental hurdle in short order.
"He’s been in our organization and shown some exciting moments offensively and he’s got some defensive versatility," Getz said. "You point to his chase rates and aggressiveness, there’s areas that still need to improve for him to be a major league player and be the best player he can be. Navigating the roster isn’t something that I hope affects his determination to be a long term major league piece. It wasn’t an easy one. We still believe in the player. These types of transactions are just part of the business we are in."
