White Sox: Eloy Jimenez suffers setback in rehab start

Chicago White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez suffered a setback in his first rehab appearance since injuring his hamstring.

The Chicago White Sox have been without slugger Eloy Jimenez since the left fielder suffered a torn right hamstring tendon in his right leg on April 26 while running up the first base-line in a game against Minnesota.

Jimenez, who had surgery several weeks ago, appeared his first rehab start since suffering the injury. In his second at-bat for the Charlotte Knights, Chicago’s Triple-A affiliate, Jimenez appeared to wince after slapping a single into the outfield.

Once he reached first base, Jimenez motioned to the Knights’ dugout and exited the game under his own power. This is a big blow to the Tony La Russa’s team who were hoping to see Jimenez back in the lineup sooner rather than later.

White Sox OF Eloy Jimenez suffers setback in rehab start.

Eloy Jimenez’s initial timetable for a return to the Chicago White Sox lineup was six-to-eight weeks, so the 25-year-old’s appearance with Triple-A Charlotte just a few weeks after suffering the injury seemed to suggest he was ahead of schedule.

The White Sox could certainly use Jimenez’s bat back in the lineup. Chicago is 22-23 and trail the American League Central Division-leading Minnesota Twins by five games.

Without Eloy Jimenez patrolling left field, the White Sox have used a combination of Adam Engel, A.J. Pollock, and Andrew Vaughn playing the corner outfield. While Engel and Pollock are struggling, Vaughn currently owns an .816 OPS and has five home runs and 19 RBIs.

Who knows how long this latest hiccup will push back Eloy Jimenez’s return to the White Sox lineup. We’re probably more likely to see Chicago take a more conservative approach going forward, so that eight-week timeframe might be more realistic.