Abreu reflects on his injury, reaching milestone
NEW YORK — White Sox first baseman José Abreu played in all 60 games during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season on the way to earning the American League MVP award.
After starting each of the first 36 games this season, Abreu missed four of the next six because of a variety of injuries. He returned Friday, going 0-for-4 in a 2-1 loss to the Yankees at Yankee Stadium.
“It has been a difficult week for sure,” Abreu said through an interpreter after Friday’s game. “But I’ve been just trying to be positive and trying to learn from it. The lesson is just try to be more careful.”
Abreu left the first game of a May 14 doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals in the second inning after colliding with batter Hunter Dozier while descending on a popup near home plate. He sustained a facial bruise and cut and a bruised left knee and missed the second game of the doubleheader.
Abreu surprisingly returned to the lineup the next day and homered in a 5-1 loss. Sunday, he scored the winning run sliding home on a wild pitch in the ninth inning.
“I have to recognize (thirdbase coach) Joe McEwing’s call,” Abreu said. “I think we were ready for that ball in the dirt. As soon as I saw the ball there, I just ran.”
Abreu suffered an injury on the play and missed the next three games against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field because of left ankle inflammation.
“I started feeling the pain on the airplane that Sunday,” Abreu said. “We got to the hotel and I couldn’t walk. I told the trainers and we went to the ER in Minnesota. They did all the tests and fortunately it wasn’t anything serious, just inflammation.
“From Monday on, working with the great treatment from the trainers, from that day my goal was to start playing (Friday).”
Abreu, the team leader with eight home runs and 33 RBIs, met the goal and appeared in his 1,000th major-league game.
“When I think about that, I think about the opportunity and about all the people that have been supporting me since day one,” Abreu said. “I’m very grateful to (Sox Chairman) Jerry Reinsdorf for the opportunity. I’m here because of him, and that’s something very special for me.
“And of course my family, they’ve been my all. They’ve been with me all the way through this moment. I do all the things I do for them and it’s very special.
“And of course, I have to thank and be grateful for all my teammates, the ones that are here with me right now (and) the ones that were with me before. All of them support me and all of them made this happen. I’m just grateful for all of that. That’s something that’s not just for me. It’s a lot of people involved in this.”