The Chicago White Sox will turn to Lucas Giolito on Sunday in an effort to end their six-game losing streak and prevent them from being swept by the Minnesota Twins in Minneapolis.
Giolito, a right-hander, had to leave his first start of the season on April 8 against the Detroit Tigers with a left-abdominal strain after he allowed one hit over four shutout innings while striking out six.
Giolito (0-0) went 11-9 with a 3.53 ERA and 201 strikeouts in 178 2/3 innings in 2021. He threw a simulated game Tuesday in Arizona and was happy with the results, prompting the White Sox to activate him from the injured list.
“I felt healthy,” Giolito told the Arlington Herald. “That was the goal, to be ready to rejoin the rotation and hoping to make a good impact going forward.”
“We’ve got the big guy back,” Chicago manager Tony La Russa told reporters.
Giolito is 7-7 with a 4.42 ERA in 16 career starts against Minnesota, including 5-2 with a 3.44 ERA at Target Field. He was 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA against the Twins last season, allowing just 10 hits and four walks in 22 innings while striking out 20.
The White Sox are expected to be without star left fielder Eloy Jimenez, who won a 2020 Silver Slugger Award, after he left Saturday’s 9-2 loss in the second inning after injuring his hamstring while trying to beat out an infield grounder.
He is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Sunday but left the stadium on crutches.
“The injury to Eloy is more important than losing the game,” La Russa said. “You walk into the training room and you see him, and he’s crying his eyes out. You walk in and everybody cries. He loves what he does. I told him there will be a lot of season left when he comes back.”
Jimenez missed a large chunk of the 2021 season after undergoing surgery for a torn left pectoral suffered while trying to pull back a home run off the bat of Oakland catcher Sean Murphy in a March 24 Cactus League game. The injury required surgery that kept him out until July 26.
Right-hander Chris Archer (0-0, 2.16 ERA) will make his third start of the season for Minnesota. Archer is 4-2 with a 4.17 ERA in 10 games and nine career starts against the White Sox.
The Twins bring a three-game winning streak into the contest following Saturday’s victory, which saw them collect a season-high 14 hits.
Byron Buxton reached base five times while going 4-for-4 with a homer, double, two RBIs and three runs scored, while Luis Arraez had his fourth-career four-hit game (all singles) while driving in three runs.
Catcher Ryan Jeffers also homered, doubled and scored three runs.
“Awesome team win,” said starter Dylan Bundy, who improved to 3-0 after scattering four hits over five shutout innings. “We have some momentum going finally, and you can hear it up there; we’re excited. We’re hoping to keep it going tomorrow.”
–Field Level Media