The Chicago White will be without shortstop Tim Anderson for their six-game road trip that opens Tuesday night against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Anderson suffered a strained right groin in the fifth inning on Sunday during a 5-4, 12-inning victory over the visiting Chicago Cubs after making a throw from the outfield grass.
He was expected to undergo further evaluation Monday. White Sox manager Tony La Russa said that Anderson will go on the injured list.
“He made that spin, not sure exactly if he got his spike stuck or something,” La Russa said. “That’s typical, he goes on the IL making a great play at the time we needed it.”
Anderson, an All-Star last season, is batting .356 with five home runs, 19 RBIs and eight stolen bases. He is not only Chicago’s leadoff man, but team leader.
“This guy is as good as any player in the game at that position in all regards,” La Russa said. “We’re not nearly as good without him, but we’re going to have to be good enough to win.”
The White Sox have lost three of their past five games while the Blue Jays are returning from a 5-1 trip that included a four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels.
The White Sox and Blue Jays are expected to be strong contenders for the postseason but have suffered some early-season struggles.
The Blue Jays took advantage of the Angels’ shoddy play in right field and their beleaguered bullpen to sweep a series for the first time this season after an 11-10 victory on Sunday.
“It’s about staying even keel,” Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said. “Our coaching staff and our players do that. They believe in themselves and we proved it (Sunday) and on this road trip. We keep playing good teams and we’re playing good baseball. Even 11-10, we’re still in one-run games. … nail-biters, whatever you want to call them.”
Lucas Giolito (3-1, 2.63) will start for the White Sox in the opener of the three-game series against fellow right-hander Kevin Gausman (4-3, 2.25) of the Blue Jays.
Giolito has gone 2-0 with a 3.22 ERA in four career starts against the Blue Jays.
Gausman has not faced the White Sox since 2018 when he was with the Baltimore Orioles. In four games (two starts), he is 0-0 with a 1.26 ERA against them.
The White Sox were 4-3 against the Blue Jays in 2021 with the teams splitting four games in Toronto.
The loss of Anderson is another setback for the White Sox, who have been playing without Eloy Jimenez (right hamstring tendon tear), Luis Robert (COVID-19 protocol) and Yoan Moncada (quadriceps).
“It’s devastating,” Jake Burger, who drove in the winning run for the White Sox on Sunday, said of Anderson. “You saw all nine guys out there around him. He’s such a leader and such an impactful person in this clubhouse that it will be tough. But he’ll always be with us no matter what it is.”
The Blue Jays have struggled at the plate this season, especially with runners in scoring position. There were signs of improvement on the trip, however, and they have won five in a row.
“Obviously, it feels good to score runs like we know we’re capable of and just continue to come here with the same energy and passion,” said Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette, who had two hits that included an eighth-inning home run on Sunday. “I think we always knew that we would, but it feels good to get going, play like we can.”
–Field Level Media