Luis Robert Jr. hits a double in a Cactus League game versus the Oakland Athletics at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Ariz., on March 24, 2023. (John Antonoff/For the Sun-Times)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Luis Robert Jr. had been trending toward getting back on the field soon as he works toward a return from the Grade 2 right hip flexor strain suffered April 5, but the All-Star center fielder had what manager Pedro Grifol called “a little setback” in his recovery process and will continue to be monitored before he begins playing in games at the Sox’ complex in Arizona.
“He was a little hesitant early in the week,” said general manager Chris Getz, who is with the team in St. Petersburg. “He feels pretty good, so we’re going to monitor that, no one is too concerned with it, we still feel like he’s going to get into game action relatively soon, get some at-bats at Arizona and join an affiliate at some point.”
Two weeks ago, Getz gave an encouraging report on Robert, saying he could be back as early as mid-May. Without offering a specific timeline Wednesday, Getz said “we’re not too concerned, but we want to make sure he’s fully healthy before we get him in any game action.”
How many games Robert would need at an affiliate, most likely Triple-A Charlotte, before returning to the Sox, is yet to be determined.
“There’s the physical component to it and there is the baseball component to it,” Getz said. “You want to make sure he’s comfortable on both ends before you bring him up to the major league level.”
Robert tore his right hip flexor in May, 2021 and was out three months. He was limited to 98 games with various injures in 2022, then played a careeer high 145 games last season. Grifol said his current issue “wasn’t a big deal.”
“It was just part of it,” Grifol said. “He was going great. And he’s still going good. I heard he bounced back really good. We’ll see how that goes. But it’s going to take a little bit. His injury was significant, so you can’t rush that.
“It’s very hard to have an injury like that and not have anything pop up. But everything I’m hearing is it’s normal. And they’ll restructure some things. It’s just part of it.”