Eloy wants to make name for himself on D

CHICAGO -- Eloy Jiménez has never wanted to permanently serve as the White Sox designated hitter.

He made that point abundantly clear in colorful but humorous terms at SoxFest a few years ago, and he strongly stuck with that concept ever since. The White Sox response has been pretty much “prove it” where playing left field every day, every inning for the 24-year-old is concerned.

And since Jiménez has come back from injury rehab for his ruptured left pectoral tendon, suffered while chasing and making an ill-fated attempt on a Spring Training home run, he has done just that minus a glitch or two.

“Basically, through the talk, through the media, he’s been told he’s going to be a full-time DH somewhere down the road, and to his credit, he said I’m not going to let that happen,” said White Sox first-base coach Daryl Boston, who also works with the outfielders, to MLB.com. “He’s moving better. He’s been good. I don’t have the same worry when he’s out there as I did in the past.”

Jiménez won an American League Silver Slugger Award in 2020, and he has a career slash line of .271/.316/.510 through 949 plate appearances, with 55 home runs, 42 doubles and 157 RBIs. Jiménez literally can carry a team when he gets on a roll at the plate, or at the very least, deliver game-changing at-bats, which makes it important to get him as many plate appearances as possible during the course of a game.

That option wasn’t always there for the White Sox, with Jiménez being subbed out late for a defensive replacement. There was a period of frustration and depression for Jiménez after he suffered the injury that was originally diagnosed with a 5-6 month absence. But Jiménez worked his way back via rehab, got himself into possibly the best playing shape of his career, to borrow a Spring Training cliché, and focused on his defense during the long process.

His OAA (Outs Above Average) for albeit limited 2021 work checks in at +1, where he was -4 last year and -11 in ’19, per Statcast. His DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) is +2 vs. -4 last year and -10 in 2019. Rick Renteria, the former White Sox manager, believed Jiménez could some day win a Gold Glove, but at this point, he certainly has improved.

“Look, there were a couple of milestones laid out in front of him during his rehabilitation besides just recovery,” White Sox general manager Rick Hahn told MLB.com. “He took a great deal of pride in being able to be out there when the final out is played. He was told in no uncertain terms, you want to do that, you are going to have put some work in both defensively and by extension on your body. That’s going to help make you a better defensive player.

“He deserves a world of credit. He was able to play himself not only into position to be back on the field at the Major League level despite that catastrophic injury, but he came back in better shape and a player who clearly put work in defensively and a guy who continues to take pride in that element of his game.”

Manager Tony La Russa and the staff play Jiménez deeper in left to lessen the momentum built up for possible wall collisions, which have plagued Jiménez in the past. Boston also points to Jiménez working more at power shagging before games as another mark for defensive development, following the lead of accomplished outfielders, such as Adam Engel and Billy Hamilton.

“I hit fungoes all day, every day, but the best way to get better at balls for the game is during BP,” Boston said. “You challenge yourself. You move in a little more than you can, see the balls you can and cannot get to. It becomes easier in the game. He’s been able to do that … I have no problem with him out there. We are going to need him in the playoffs playing some left field. He’s playing with a lot more confidence than he did when he first got here.”

“He’s moving very well,” La Russa said. “I saw him a little bit in Spring Training before he got hurt, and I went ‘Whoa, he’s a big guy, but he really moves well.’ He’s got good hands and a strong arm.”