Eloy strikes out in return from IL
The White Sox reinstated designated hitter Eloy Jimenez from the injured list Monday but did not put him in the game until he struck out as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning, ending a 2-0 loss to the Royals at Guaranteed Rate Field.
The Sox also selected the contract of right-hander Nick Nastrini from Triple-A Charlotte, optioned right-hander Justin Anderson and Zach Remillard to Charlotte and transferred catcher Max Stassi to the 60-day IL.
The Sox had planned to send Jimenez to Charlotte for a brief minor-league rehab stint, but manager Pedro Grifol said watching him in live batting practice Saturday against John Brebbia showed he was ready.
Jimenez pinch-hit with Gavin Sheets on against James McArthur.
Jimenez stopped short of saying he felt 100% but said he was going to ask Grifol why he wasn’t starting.
“I’m ready to go,” Jimenez said. “These [last] couple, three days, I feel pretty good. I’ve been running, I’ve been running the bases, hitting.”
Grifol indicated Jimenez would start Tuesday.
Deal for Pham completed
Outfielder Tommy Pham agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal plus incentives, a source confirmed. With Luis Robert Jr. and Yoan Moncada on the IL, the Sox — last in the majors with 34 runs in 16 games — sorely need any kind of boost they can find.
Pham, 36, hit .256/.328/.446 in 481 plate appearances last year with the Mets and Diamondbacks.
Cannon next
Jonathan Cannon, 23, will have his contract selected from Charlotte on Tuesday and follow Nastrini as the second starter to make his debut in two days.
Wednesday starter Erick Fedde will get two extra days of rest, Garrett Crochet one and Chris Flexen “will help us in the bullpen at some point until that next start comes along for him,” Grifol said.
Six-man rotation?
Grifol said a six-man rotation is “a possibility.”
“That’s why it’s so important to just debut today, debut tomorrow and see where we are at right after,” he said. “You can’t get too far ahead of yourself. They might force that issue. They might not. We’ll see.”
Mike Clevinger and Brad Keller are ramping up and could factor in the rotation in the coming weeks, as well.
No. 42
Bears offensive assistant Jennifer King, the team’s first female coach and the NFL’s first full-time Black female coach, threw out a ceremonial first pitch on Jackie Robinson Day.