Eloy Jimenez injury update: White Sox star set to miss entire 2021 MLB regular season

On Thursday, the Chicago White Sox announced that outfielder Eloy Jimenez ruptured his left pectoral tendon. The 24-year-old suffered the injury while leaping for a Sean Murphy home run in the second inning of Wednesday’s 14-4 defeat against the Oakland Athletics at Camelback Ranch during their spring training encounter. The White Sox also revealed that Jimenez will now require surgery with the expected recovery period for the player between 5-6 months. 

What happened to Eloy Jimenez? Chicago White Sox star appears to injure shoulder in spring training game

During Wednesday’s Cactus League contest between the White Sox and the Athletics, Jiménez attempted to steal a home run and worked his way back to the wall, but couldn’t quite corral the long drive. His left arm caught on the wall and hung over it while he attempted the catch. Jimenez quickly informed officials of his injury and after staying on the ground for a while, the White Sox star walked off the field holding that left arm.

Eloy Jimenez injury update: White Sox star to miss first half of MLB 2021 campaign? 

On Thursday, White Sox manager Rick Hahn addressed the media and revealed that Jimenez will require surgery after rupturing his left pectoral tendon while attempting the catch against Oakland. The White Sox also released a statement on Twitter, stating that Jimenez's recovery period will take at least 5-6 months, which could potentially see him out of action for the entirety of the regular season. This is obviously a concerning turn of events for Chicago as the White Sox remain in search of their first AL Central title since 2008.

Hahn said, "Jimenez is disappointed that he'll be out for the foreseeable future but he’s committed to getting the repair done and getting after his rehab in a smart, aggressive, prudent way and getting back as soon as his body allows. He’s Eloy, what you’d expect. It’s going to be very hard for him not to be around us for the next several months. I’m looking for a silver lining in this that it can be a learning experience or positive for him in the long term. But for today, the next few days until he gets the repair done, it’s reasonable for him to be as disappointed as he is."

Eloy Jimenez stats with White Sox

Jimenez is in his third season with the White Sox and is one of the American League’s top players with the bat, having produced 45 home runs, 120 RBIs, 32 doubles and a .848 OPS over 177 games. The Dominican Republic star also ranks ninth among AL right-handed hitters with those 45 home runs since 2019 and hitting coach Frank Menechino has also talked about Jiménez’s potential to hit .330 or .340 with his immense ability. According to Sportsline, the loss of Jimenez is going to significantly hurt the White Sox's chances of winning the division. 

Image Credits - MLB.COM