Chicago White Sox manager Pedro Grifol texted Justin Jirschele, skipper of the organization’s Triple-A affiliate in Charlotte, N.C.
Part of the conversation centered on what’s in store for center fielder Luis Robert Jr., who joined the Knights on Tuesday for a rehab assignment.
“I think everybody is excited to watch him,” Grifol told reporters before Tuesday’s Sox game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Guaranteed Rate Field. “I don’t really care too much about the game. I care about what (Robert) says after the game, how he felt. And then what he’s going to say tomorrow morning, how he felt. And then we’ll do the same thing.”
Robert headed to Charlotte after going 1-for-7 in three games last week with the Arizona Complex League White Sox. The hit was a home run; he also walked once.
The All-Star has been on the injured list since April 6 with a strained right hip flexor. He sustained the injury in the ninth inning of an April 5 game against the Kansas City Royals as he legged out a double at Kauffman Stadium.
Robert is 6-for-28 (.214) with two doubles, two home runs and four RBIs in seven games with the Sox this season.
“As far as the game (with the Knights), I know his talent is going to do what it does,” Grifol said. “I just want to make sure he’s 100% healthy and doing the things he’s capable of doing without any hesitation at all.
“We don’t want any hesitation on going after a ball in the gap, diving for a ball in the gap, trying to beat out a ground ball, trying to steal a base, going first to third. That’s the kind of stuff that I’m concerned about that I want to make sure we can check every single box before he gets up here.”
Grifol said there isn’t a target date for Robert’s return to the Sox.
“I definitely don’t want to rush this,” he said. “And it’s not in our best interest to rush this. We just want to do it right and make sure when he gets up here, he can get up here and finish here.”
Left-handed pitcher Shane Drohan also will take the next step in his rehab process at Charlotte. He has an 8.44 ERA with 10 strikeouts and four walks in five relief appearances with the Arizona Complex League White Sox and Class A Winston-Salem.
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Drohan underwent nerve decompression surgery on his left shoulder in February. The Sox selected Drohan from the Boston Red Sox organization in the major-league phase of the Rule 5 draft in December.