Luis Robert Jr. injury: White Sox star exits game vs. Royals with right hip flexor injury; IL stint unknown

Chicago White Sox star center fielder Luis Robert Jr. exited Friday night’s 2-1 loss against the Kansas City Royals (box score) after suffering a right hip flexor injury running the bases, according to James Fegan of Sox Machine. Robert began to hobble after connecting with first base on a ninth-inning double. He did reach second base, but he did so only after hopping most of the way on his left leg.

Robert was subsequently lifted in favor of pinch-runner and utility infielder Braden Shewmake. 

Robert, 26, entered Friday night’s contest slashing .208/.240/.500 (108 OPS+) with two home runs in his first six games of the season. He went 1-for-4 against the Royals with the aforementioned double. Robert is undoubtedly the White Sox’s best player, meaning that any kind of absence for him would further sink a club that is now 1-6 on the season following Friday’s defeat. The team will know more in the coming days as Robert is set to undergo imaging. 

Robert has, unfortunately, garnered a reputation for being injury prone. This is his fifth season in the majors, yet he’s appeared in more than 100 games in just one of his previous three regulation-length campaigns. To his credit, he did play in 56 of Chicago’s 60 games during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season. Still, even this kind of injury isn’t new for Robert, who missed three months because of a right hip flexor injury in 2021. 

If Robert requires an injured list stint — and manager Pedro Grifol declared it too early to know  — he’ll join designated hitter Eloy Jiménez on the shelf. (The White Sox placed Jiménez, sidelined since Sunday because of a left adductor strain, on the IL earlier Friday; in a corresponding move, they purchased the contract of veteran outfielder Robbie Grossman.) Kevin Pillar would likely take over in center field, though the White Sox do have several other options available at Triple-A Charlotte, including Zach DeLoach and Brett Phillips.

The White Sox will continue their series with the Royals on Saturday.