Dr. Schulz weighs in on the Chisox slugger’s latest set-back
When healthy, Jimenez is a skilled hitter — not a free swinger — with 40-homer potential. But that potential is still somewhat untapped because of his all-too-regular stints on the injured list.
Jimenez’s latest injury is his 16th known one since April 2019. That was his first season with the Sox, who acquired him with right-hander Dylan Cease from the Cubs for left-hander Jose Quintana two years earlier.
With a record like that, it’s difficult for the Sox to project his value, knowing he hasn’t been able to stay on the field. Signed to a six-year, $43 million deal in March 2019, Jimenez’s contract and health history affect his trade value, as well.
An eight-game hitting streak was put on hold, and when he returned Jimenez hit safely in eight of his next 10 games. He was playing right field without incident.
And then he got hurt. Again.
‘‘Everybody is different, and some players have a higher chance of injuring themselves when other players seem to be lucky and more durable,’’ said Brian Schulz, an orthopedic surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles and the Angels’ team physician.
‘‘In today’s game, we see more players get these soft-tissue injuries because they’re stronger. And the demand and workload is so much higher than it used to be. The forces they’re putting through these muscles is something that didn’t happen 30, 40 years ago.’’
