CHICAGO -- White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. had the chance for a moment in the fifth inning of his team’s 2-1 victory over the Blue Jays Wednesday afternoon at Rate Field.
Bases loaded, two outs, Braydon Fisher on the mound, and the White Sox holding that one-run advantage. Robert connected on the first pitch for a 348-foot fly ball to left, projected by Statcast, ending up as the last out of the frame. The question arising from that situation wasn’t why didn’t Robert pull the ball a little more or take a pitch, but instead how many White Sox moments does Robert have left?
The Trade Deadline sits 22 days away, and with Robert playing his second straight game in a return from the 10-day injured list due to a left hamstring strain, the chance remains he’ll be playing for another team by the start of August.
“It’s not in my hands. That’s on the people who make decisions and whatever they want to do,” said Robert through interpreter Billy Russo. “Of course there’s always a possibility there, but again, that’s in their hands.”
There haven’t been a plethora of 2025 moments for the five-tool talent that is Robert, in his sixth year with the White Sox. Sure, he has played stellar defense, taking away a hit from Joey Loperfido with a sliding catch to end the fourth. He’s also still running the bases and stealing bases at a high level, although he might be slowed temporarily as he comes back from the injury.
But Robert just isn’t hitting with any consistency. Robert finished 0-for-3 with a walk on Wednesday, leaving his average at .185 and his OPS at .583. He is owed the remainder of his $15 million for this season, with the team holding $20 million options in 2026 and ‘27 with a $2 million buyout.
When asked if the All-Star break might be a good time to reset for the second half of the season, Robert said he didn’t have anything else to reset.
“Just keep working, and if the results aren’t there, keep working,” Robert said. “I’m working hard every day, trying to get results. But at the end of the day, it’s something I can’t predict.”
While Robert’s status, discussed since last year's Deadline, is a bit up in the air, right-handed starter Adrian Houser’s value has never been higher. Houser allowed opening singles to Nathan Lukes and Bo Bichette on Wednesday, but escaped that jam via a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. double play grounder -- one of three turned by the White Sox.
Houser allowed one run on seven hits over seven innings, striking out two and walking two. He also felt better after that first inning, when he vomited upon reaching the White Sox dugout. This sort of scenario has played out before for Houser, leaving the veteran with a wry smile as he was quizzed postgame.
“Oh yeah, that's probably about the fifth time. So that's nothing new,” Houser said. “The trainers knew. I told them when I came in, I was like, 'Hey, this is a possibility.' So once I get it out, it's all good, ready to rock and roll. I felt a lot better after it.
“So I was able to settle in after that and just, you know, puke and rally. Just some water, some cold towels and stick the hand in an ice bucket for a little bit to cool down. But after that, all good."
Not all good for the Blue Jays (54-39), though, who had their 10-game winning streak come to an end while the White Sox (31-62) snapped a three-game skid. Houser has recorded a career-high seven-plus innings in three straight starts, posting a 3-0 record with a 0.42 ERA (one earned run over 22 innings) during that stretch.
Wednesday’s effort marked his third straight win, raising his overall mark to 5-2 for a team sitting 31 games under .500. The trade question is bound to come up, especially for a rebuilding team such as the White Sox. But much like Robert, Houser put the focus on his work.
“I’m just here to do my job. That’s how I attack every day, approach every day,” Houser said. “Everything else outside of that is out of my control. All I want to do is come in here and put my best foot forward and give everything I have every day and try to get one percent better.
“If I’m one percent better every day, I’m getting better. I just want to be the best I can be for whatever team I’m pitching for. It’s the way I’m attacking every day.”