KANSAS CITY – The following statement has been made countless times before and will probably be made countless more times prior to the end of the 2021 White Sox season:

Manager Tony La Russa prefers to focus on the day at hand, the game at hand, and not really dissect four or five days down the line, let alone a big picture season outlook.

That theory applies to three games in Kansas City for La Russa’s American League Central leaders as the Trade Deadline approaches this Friday at 3 p.m. CT.

“If there's one thing that beats you -- I'm not exaggerating, I'm just making a point -- distractions,” La Russa said. “Distractions will do more to mar performances.

“I don't care if it's a pitcher, position player, team and whether or not a player is going to join your team, it's the front office, are we selling or buying? All those are distractions, so as a staff we work hard, and we try to communicate to the leaders on the team what the clubhouse has got to be.”

Left fielder and designated hitter Eloy Jiménez returned from his injury rehab assignment Monday when he was activated from the 60-day injured list after putting in extensive work for a torn left pectoral tendon suffered at the end of Spring Training. Center fielder Luis Robert, sidelined since May 2 with a torn right hip flexor, had his injury rehab moved from Class A Winston-Salem to Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday.

Fans don’t want to view these additions, not to mention the return of catcher Yasmani Grandal, as Trade Deadline acquisitions per se. But regardless of how they're viewed, these players make the White Sox better in their pursuit of a title.

There’s also a solid chance the White Sox add a reliever or two and maybe even a second baseman before Friday. La Russa doesn’t want the focus to be on those potential moves.

“In our case, we're buyers and there's no doubt that our front office is trying to help, reasonably as I've said before, because that's the way it should be,” La Russa said. “But we can't get distracted with the game that's being played that day.

“That's how we do it, we just communicate, just play today and sooner or later we'll find out if we get help or not. But don't get distracted and lose an edge.”

Robert making moves
La Russa went into some detail as to the rehab reports concerning Robert, who was in the leadoff spot and in center for the Knights on Tuesday.

“You have to start with just his movement, how he's running and shifting and breaking left to right and all that,” La Russa said. “It's been good, and his times are excellent. Then the baseball timing comes, but it has to start with having a healthy base and we're optimistic at this point.”

Although Robert has made progress, there’s still no rush to bring him back before the 20-day injury rehab period is complete.

“The analogy I always hear for something like this: You go to Spring Training and you give the guys, if you count the days in February, almost six weeks of practice time,” La Russa said. “And now, right when it's the end of the last two months and you're going to give a guy two weeks? That's asking a lot.

“In the end you count on the experts that are watching him, watching bat speed and timing and comparing it to where he is normally. But I think it would be a mistake to rush him, whether it's physically or baseball wise.”

Keuchel’s left-handed struggles
Facing left-handed hitters has not been completely right for White Sox starter Dallas Keuchel, which has contributed to his 4.32 ERA over 20 games and 19 starts this season. Keuchel posted a 1.99 ERA over 11 starts in his White Sox debut last season.

For his career, the left-handed throwing Keuchel has limited left-handed hitters to a .230/.277/.341 slash line with 28 home runs, and a 4.5 K/BB ratio. Against righties, Keuchel has a slash line of .259/.318/.399 with 122 homers and a 2.30 K/BB ratio.

During 2021, left-handed hitters have a .290/.347/.484 slash line with four home runs vs. Keuchel including Andrew Benintendi’s opposite-field shot in Monday’s loss.

“Something's not clicking, and I've made no bones about it. I feel like I'm on Mars sometimes when I'm pitching to lefties,” Keuchel said. “If we can clean that up, then I'll be golden. I just feel like I'm not making quality pitch after quality pitch to lefties.

“Obviously it's showing. That's usually where I excel. And then the righties, I can kind of contain them up and down the lineup whenever they're mixed in with the lefties.”