White Sox: Eloy Jimenez cleared to resume baseball activities but still out for foreseeable future

While Chicago White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez has been cleared to resume baseball activities, there is still no timetable for his return.

The Chicago White Sox are enjoying some early success in the 2021 season, as they sit in first-place in the AL Central with a 41-24 record as of this writing. They have done so without outfielder Eloy Jimenez, who suffered a ruptured left pectoral tendon in spring training. However, the White Sox did receive some positive news on Monday.

The White Sox released a statement that Jimenez has been cleared to resume baseball activities at the team’s facility in Arizona. However, the team announced that there is no timetable for his return, as this step in the rehabilitation process is expected to take at least four weeks, where he will then be sent to one of Chicago’s minor-league affiliates for assignment.

White Sox: Eloy Jimenez cleared to resume baseball activities

Jimenez’s injury occurred during a spring training game against the Oakland Athletics in late-March. During said game, Jimenez stretched his glove hand above the outfield wall to try and catch a Sean Murphy home run. That was when it was determined that Jimenez could be out between 5-6 months after undergoing surgery.

In 2020, Jimenez played in all but five games in the 60-game season, where he slashed .296/.332/.559 while recording 14 home runs, 41 RBI, 26 runs scored and 63 hits.

Even without Jimenez in the lineup, the White Sox still have a rather commanding lead over their rivals in the AL Central division. Unfortunately, the team has picked up a variety of injuries lately, especially to Luis Robert and Nick Madrigal. The White Sox obviously have World Series aspirations and would love to have Jimenez back in the outfield for them. However, it is simply too early to tell when he can return.