The White Sox announced three moves today, including the placement of outfielder Luis Robert Jr. on the 10-day injured list. Robert is suffering from a “mild” left MCL sprain, and the IL stint will officially send his 2023 season. Tyler Naquin’s contract has been selected from Triple-A to take Robert’s spot on the active roster, and Jimmy Lambert was shifted to the 60-day IL to open up space for Naquin on the 40-man roster.
Robert left Sunday’s game due to soreness in his left knee, so it isn’t surprising that trip to the injured list was in order. The Sox noted that Robert is expected to be fine within 2-4 weeks of recovery time, so the injury won’t have any impact on his readiness for the offseason or for Spring Training.
Though Robert will end his fourth MLB season on the injured list, he has played in 145 games and amassed 595 plate appearances, both easily career bests for the 26-year-old. He played in only 166 of a possible 324 games in 2021-22 due to a variety of injuries, yet as MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald observed in a post earlier this month, staying healthy has finally allowed Robert to show the form that made him one of baseball’s top prospects.
Robert will finish the 2023 season with 38 homers, 20 steals (from 24 chances), 90 runs scored and a .264/.315/.542 slash line, translating to a 128 wRC+. Beyond that offense, Robert also figures to contend for his second Gold Glove, with +6 Defensive Runs Saved and +13 Outs Above Average in 1207 2/3 innings in center field. Among all qualified players, only 15 players have a better fWAR than Robert’s 5.0 total.
Robert’s injury creates an opportunity for Naquin to appear in his first Major League game of the 2023 season, continuing his streak of appearing in at least a piece of every MLB campaign since his 2016 rookie season. He signed a minor league deal with the Brewers during the offseason and spent most of 2023 with Milwaukee’s Triple-A affiliate, foregoing his contractually mandated opt-out dates while also battling some shoulder problems.
In early August, the Brewers traded Naquin to the White Sox, a post-deadline deal made possible because Naquin hadn’t spent any time on the Brewers’ 40-man roster or Major League injured list. The 32-year-old has hit .257/.317/.408 over 269 combined PA at the Triple-A level this season.
Lambert underwent arthroscopic ankle surgery last week, so the move to the 60-day IL is just a formality since his season was already over. The White Sox provided an update on Lambert today, saying that he is expected to be fully recovered after 2-3 months.