White Sox outfielder Luis Robert out long-term with major hip injury

The White Sox suffered a major blow on Monday afternoon, as Luis Robert is out long-term with a hip injury.

Robert is the second White Sox to suffer a major injury this season, as Eloy Jimenez had surgery on his torn pectoral tendon in late March. Chicago had been favored to win the AL Central before the season, and currently sits in second place, 1.5 games behind the Kansas City Royals.

The 23-year-old tore his hip flexor, and will sit out 12-16 weeks before being re-evaluated.

On the season so far, Robert had been hitting .316 with a home run and 8 RBIs through 95 at-bats. Leury Garcia could very well be the next man up in center field, as Adam Engel is on the injured list. Garcia took over for Robert in center field when he was injured on Sunday.

How does Luis Robert’s injury impact White Sox’s postseason chances?

The White Sox remain a contender in the Central, but Tim Anderson’s declaration that they were World Series favorites before the season appears unlikely. The White Sox team Anderson was referring to had Jimenez and Robert playing major roles, along with free agent additions like Liam Hendriks and Adam Eaton, as well as Lance Lynn, who the team traded for this Winter. If Robert doesn’t return this year, it’ll be a major blow to the team’s title chances.

The task of reaching their lofty goals immediately becomes tougher. Even without Robert, the White Sox can still rely heavily upon Jose Abreu, last season’s AL MVP, as well as Anderson and 2021 sensation Yermin Mercedes. Chicago’s pitching staff also received a recent boost with the addition of Michael Kopech to the mix.

Nonetheless, even Tony La Russa can’t pretend that the loss of Robert isn’t a huge blow. How these South Siders respond could very well determine the fate of their 2021 campaign.