CHICAGO — White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. was out of the starting lineup on Saturday for the second straight day because of adductor soreness.
Robert felt the injury when he stole second in the ninth inning of Wednesday’s 11-9 victory at Tampa Bay. The White Sox were off on Thursday, and Robert rested during Friday night’s 12-5 win against the Cubs.
Manager Will Venable said Robert was feeling better Saturday.
“He ran around, looks good, just not quite there yet,” Venable said. “He’ll still be out of the lineup but be available off the bench today.”
Robert is batting .375 (12-for-32) with two homers and nine RBIs during a nine-game hitting streak, showing signs of breaking out after a miserable start to the season. With the rebuilding White Sox in last place in the AL Central, he could be on the move ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline.
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Robert, who turns 28 on Aug. 3, is batting just .206 with 10 homers and 41 RBIs in 84 games. But he also has career-high 26 steals and plays solid defense in center. He hit a career-best 38 homers in 2023.
Also Saturday, Shane Smith threw about 55 pitches to Josh Rojas, Tim Elko and Brooks Baldwin. The All-Star right-hander is coming back from a sprained left ankle.
“I think it went pretty well,” Smith said. “Good feel for the stuff. It’s really cool to face our guys. I can get an insight what they are doing and what they see a little bit easier. Yeah, it felt good to be back on the bump.”
Venable said Smith looked good, and he wasn’t certain about the next step for the pitcher.
“We’re going to map that out here,” he said. “I’m not sure if it’s going to be another live BP or a rehab assignment.”
The 25-year-old Smith was selected by the White Sox in December’s Rule 5 draft. He got off to a solid start in his first year in the majors, but he is 0-4 with an 11.29 ERA in his last five games.
Smith got hurt during a July 17 workout at PNC Park. The White Sox are monitoring his innings over the last part of the season, and he is hoping the IL stint will help him finish strong.
“Just like making sure mechanics are there,” he said. “Stuff you don’t neglect during the middle of the week but you can really work on stuff once you are feeling good. That’s all I’m trying to do, make sure the body is in the right spot, and make sure the mechanics and delivery are in the right spot.”
