White Sox Make Unexpected Luis Robert Jr. Move Before Cubs Game

White Sox Make Unexpected Luis Robert Jr. Move Before Cubs Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Center fielder Luis Robert Jr. is in his sixth season with the Chicago White Sox after making his big-league debut in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.

The right-handed slugger dominated as a rookie, finishing second in American League Rookie of the Year voting and earning a Gold Glove award.

His best season came in 2023, when he placed 12th in American League MVP voting, made his first All-Star team and won a Silver Slugger.

Over 145 games, the 27-year-old collected career highs of 144 hits, 38 home runs and 80 RBIs. Unfortunately, Robert suffered a dramatic downturn in 2024 as the White Sox set the modern-era record for most losses in a single season.

In 2025, Robert finally began to turn things around before missing Chicago’s last two games with adductor soreness—specifically groin tightness.

Ahead of Sunday’s series finale against the cross-town rival Chicago Cubs, he was unexpectedly slotted in as designated hitter in place of Austin Slater.

Lineup change: https://t.co/MhYBmJu7Bupic.twitter.com/ybnZxmANXo

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) July 27, 2025

The unexpected move to include Robert in the lineup comes in the midst of a strong July: over 11 games, Robert is hitting .351 with a .982 OPS, two home runs and nine RBIs.

His overall numbers this year still remain underwhelming at a .206 batting average, .636 OPS and ten home runs in 84 games, but the recent hot streak has bumped up his trade value as the July 30 deadline approaches.

With Chicago firmly out of playoff contention, the former rookie sensation may be moved to a contender before the end of the month.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 27, 2025, where it first appeared.