CHICAGO (AP) — Luis Robert Jr. isn't thinking about the trade deadline at the moment, not with his play so far for the Chicago White Sox.
“I think right now as my season is going I don’t think anybody is going to take a chance on me," Robert said through a translator. "I just focus on trying to get better. I can’t think of anything else.”
Robert is off to a rough start in his sixth season with Chicago, batting just .182 with five homers and 17 RBIs. He also has a .578 OPS and 53 strikeouts in 45 games. He went 0 for 3 in Tuesday night's 1-0 victory over Seattle.
The 27-year-old Robert is still a strong defensive center fielder, a Gold Glove winner in his rookie season in 2020. He also has a team-high 17 steals and 21 runs.
But he is struggling at the plate, and that has been frustrating for him.
“Yes of course. Everybody here works hard to get the results every day," Robert said before the victory over the Mariners. "When you are working hard and the results aren’t there, it’s sad. You feel a little sad for sure.”
Robert has been the subject of trade conversations in the past, but the last-place White Sox haven't found what they think is the right deal for the rebuilding franchise. Robert's contract has $20 million club options for 2026 and 2027, with a $2 million buyout for each season.
If Robert heats up, he could be one of the top sluggers on the market at the July 31 deadline. But he has shown no signs of a turnaround so far.
“We’ve talked, and for me, as an observer, you see a guy that has one mentality on the bases and in the outfield and that’s an aggressive one and then maybe a little in between at the plate,” first-year White Sox manager Will Venable said.
“For me, it’s just about making sure he felt supported. At the same time, we’re challenging him to do all the right things that he needs to do to make adjustments to get better and he’s doing those things.”
Robert was regarded as a rising star as late as 2023, when he batted .264 with 38 homers, 80 RBIs and 20 steals in 145 games. He made the AL All-Star team that year.
But he missed almost two months of last season with a right hip flexor strain, and he finished the year on a career-long homerless drought of 34 games. He batted .224 with 14 homers and 35 RBIs in 100 games.
He thinks his slow start this year has to do with overthinking and his timing at the plate.
“I feel good in the cage. I feel good throughout my preparation for the game," he said. "It’s just a matter of the results haven’t been there in the games. But I’ve been feeling good with my routine.”
A year after Chicago went 41-121, breaking the post-1900 major league record for losses in a season, it is 15-34 after stopping a five-game slide with Tuesday night's victory.
The White Sox signed Adrian Houser to a $1.35 million, one-year contract earlier in the day, and the right-hander pitched six innings of two-hit ball against the Mariners. To make room for Houser on the roster, right-hander Yoendrys Gómez was designated for assignment.
Houser, 32, opted out of his contract when he was released by Texas on Thursday. He went 2-2 with a 5.03 ERA in nine games with Triple-A Round Rock this year. He is 33-39 with a 4.17 ERA in 153 appearances in the majors, also playing for Milwaukee and the New York Mets.
With Houser joining the rotation, Bryse Wilson is going back to Chicago's bullpen.
“These opportunities don’t come very often, so you don’t want to fumble it,” Houser said. "You want to be able to go out there and win games for your team and do everything you can to stay up here.”
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Jay Cohen, The Associated Press
