Sports Time Radio

Even though they’re only 16 games into a 162-game season you have to wonder if what was thought to be a big yar for the Chicago White Sox is already coming off the rails due to injury.

Fortunately for the White Sox no team in their division the American League Central is off to a great start. The Minnesota Twins currently lead the division with a record of 9-8. the White Sox are 6-10 which puts them 2 1/2 games behind the Twins, but the White Sox are currently on an 8-game losing streak heading into tonight’s game against the Kansas City Royals, who are just a half a game ahead of them with a record of 6-9.

Just this week the White Sox added outfielder Eloy Jimenez to the Injured List with a hamstring strain. Reports are that Jimenez is expected to miss six to eight weeks. Jimenez joins Yoan Moncada who hasn’t played a game this season on the Injury List of White Sox everyday players. Then you throw in that expected #1 starter Lance Lynn hasn’t pitched an inning this season and neither has free agent signing Joe Kelly or versatile bullpen arm Ryan Burr. Then add in lefty Garrett Crochet who will mis the entire season after having Tommy John surgery and that’s quite a collection of injuries to start a season.

You also have to wonder if it’s time to start looking at Jimenez as injury prone. Jimenez is just 25 years old, but he’s been unable to stay healthy these last two season. Last year he played in just 55 games after being injured just before the start of the 2021 regular season. Jimenez hit just .249 when he returned to the White Sox line up last year, but he was better in the playoffs when he hit .294 against the Houston Astros.

Jimenez has been looked at as a potential superstar and a big time middle of the order run producer for the White Sox since his rookie year when he hit 31 home runs and finished 4th in the Rookie of the Year voting. Now you have to wonder if Jimenez will ever stay healthy enough to reach the potential that people predicted for him.

The White Sox have some other talented young players like Andrew Vaughn and Gavin Sheets who need to step up for Jimenez in his absence while Jake Burger is the top prospect who’s been getting some extra at bats with Moncada injured. These three young players may be the key to the White Sox turning their early season issues around, but is it too much to ask from this group?

While Jimenez is a key piece to the White Sox offense it may be even more important for the White Sox to get Lynn healthy and back into the starting rotation.

Dallas Keuchel has struggled in his three starts and has an ERA of 9.00. Vincent Velaquez and Jimmy Lambert have been filling in for Lynn in the White Sox starting rotation, but Velaquez has an ERA of 6.75 in the three starts he made, and Lambert’s ERA is 5.40 in the two starts he made.

Now again, the White Sox are just 16 games into the regular season, so there’s quite a bit of time for them to get healthy and back into the AL Central race as long as they can find a way to get and stay healthy.

What do you think the White Sox chances are of fulfilling the pre-season predictions that were made for them? In case you forgot there were many people who had the White Sox representing the American League in the World Series.

As you know after the delayed start to the season, I decided that I wouldn’t watch baseball this season, but I kind of broke that deal in a way.

I made sure to catch all of Miguel Cabrera’s at bats as he was trying to get his 3000th hit. To be fair I didn’t watch a full game like I said I wouldn’t do, but I did switch over to check and see if the MLB Network was cutting into a Cabrera at bat to see if he got that 3000th hit.

So, I did end up watching some baseball, but I’ve yet to actually sit through an entire game and I don’t plan to do that this season.

Now this is generally the time where I would tell you how to listen to the Sports Time Radio podcast, but I have some news on that. After 10 years of doing the podcast Dan the Man and I have decided to end it. We’d like to thank everyone who agreed to be interviewed on the podcast over that time as well as anyone who stepped in to co-host when asked. This especially applies to Schaumburg Stu who filled in every Friday and whenever else he was needed.

As of now I plan on continuing writing the blogs on Wednesday’s and Saturday’s and who knows maybe I’ll jump on some other days and post blogs depending on how I feel, so I hope you’ll continue to follow along with me here.

I’m still on Twitter if you want to look me up their, I’m @Burketime.