White Sox Notes: Robert, Wilson, Benintendi

Luis Robert Jr. has been the topic of commerce rumors for effectively over a 12 months. With the White Sox in a full rebuild, it has felt like a matter of time earlier than the 2023 All-Star would head elsewhere.

That has been difficult by Robert’s current play. He missed a pair months early final 12 months with a hip flexor pressure and hit .224/.278/.379 with 14 homers in 100 video games. The Sox held him over the offseason, sustaining a excessive asking value in hopes that he’d rebound and emerge as a key deadline commerce chip. That hasn’t occurred, as Robert’s numbers have solely additional spiraled. He goes into tonight’s sport with a .186/.281/.308 line over 180 plate appearances. Robert has taken walks at a career-best 11.7% fee, however he’s hanging out 29% of the time and never hitting for his normal quantity of energy.

Robert acknowledged that the shortage of manufacturing is tanking his commerce worth. “Right now, as my season is going, I don’t think anybody is going to take a chance on me,” he informed reporters via an interpreter (link via Kyle Williams of The Chicago Sun-Times). There are slightly over two months for Robert to show issues round earlier than the deadline. He stays a succesful defensive middle fielder and leads MLB with 17 stolen bases. Robert nonetheless has intriguing bodily instruments, however he hasn’t come near his 2021-23 numbers (.287/.331/.511) within the batter’s field.

The Sox owe Robert what stays of his $15MM wage. He’s managed by way of $20MM membership choices for one more two seasons, however it’s more and more troublesome to see the crew exercising these.

In different information out of Chicago, the Sox finalized their one-year cope with righty Adrian Houser this afternoon. He drew proper into the rotation and held Seattle scoreless over six innings in a 1-0 victory for his crew debut. Supervisor Will Venable confirmed that the Sox have been shifting Bryse Wilson again to the bullpen on account of the signing (link via Scott Merkin of MLB.com).

Wilson had begun the 12 months in reduction however drew into the beginning 5 after the Martín Pérez harm. He had a 5.28 ERA over 10 reduction appearances. He struggled in 4 begins, surrendering 13 runs throughout 17 2/3 innings. Wilson is out of choices, so the Sox wanted to maintain him on the MLB roster or designate him for project. He’s prone to work as a protracted man.

In the meantime, Andrew Benintendi started a rehab project with Triple-A Charlotte this night. He went 0-4 with a strikeout whereas working because the designated hitter. Benintendi has been out for 2 weeks with a strained calf. He’d hit .224/.298/.400 with 5 homers via his first 24 video games. Austin Slater is the first left fielder in Benintendi’s absence.