Struggling Robert gets something to build on

CHICAGO -- It was just one base hit for Luis Robert Jr.

One two-out, eighth-inning single to center fielder Aaron Judge, scoring Corey Julks with what would be the White Sox lone run in a 4-1 loss to the Yankees on Tuesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field. But with Robert entering that at-bat in a 2-for-38 funk with 17 strikeouts for the month of August, even the slightest success presents hope for a turnaround.

“Yeah, sometimes that can be the case,” said Robert through interpreter Billy Russo. “A base hit or something can get your confidence back. But I still need to work and try to get my rhythm.”

“That's big for him,” White Sox interim manager Grady Sizemore said. “Sometimes it just takes one swing to get back into your groove or take the weight off you a little bit, help you breathe a little bit. For his night to end like that, hopefully he can take that into tomorrow and build off those swings."

Robert has the talent to be one of the best players in the game. He can hit for power and for average, he has plus speed on the basepaths and he is a Gold Glove-caliber defender with a strong arm in center. Signs of that ability have crept through at times this season via 17 stolen bases in 18 attempts and 12 home runs.

Robert is also as hard of a worker as anyone in the clubhouse. So when that diligence and skill are put together and the results are a .199/.262/.394 slash line with 99 strikeouts in 246 at-bats, frustration and a dip in confidence arise.

“It’s frustrating, so frustrating that sometimes you think, ‘I’m quitting.’ But of course you won’t. You just have to keep working,” Robert said. “That’s a big indicator when a player is struggling.

“Sometimes you are doing everything right, you are doing all your work. It’s just a matter of you can’t put everything together during the game. Your confidence will start to kind of go down a little bit.”

The White Sox confidence understandably has taken a direct hit during the 2024 season, as they dipped to 2-25 in their past 27 games, 5-31 over their past 36 and 29-92 overall. Their highest possible win total became 70, and with Cleveland picking up its 71st win by beating the Cubs, the South Siders officially have been eliminated from American League Central title contention.

Not exactly breaking news, or shocking news. While the team will try to win every one of the 41 games remaining, targeting dominant performances such as the 12-2 victory Monday, development for younger players becomes just as important.

Development, that is, in the pass and fail categories. Rookie infielder Brooks Baldwin hit a three-run home run to close out Monday’s impressive victory, which was a memorable moment for someone who grew up as a Mets fan and didn’t have much affinity for the Yankees. But as the game-winning run on Tuesday, Baldwin struck out against Jake Cousins to leave the bases loaded and end the contest.

“I always say that when you're up here, it's going to force you to play better,” Sizemore said. “You're going to get that experience and you're going to have success.

“You're going to have some failures, but that's what you need to learn to play at this level. It's a different animal, it's a different speed. It's a different competition. These guys, they're getting their feet wet and they're holding their own."

Rookie starter Jonathan Cannon (2-6) was touched up for two homers in Juan Soto’s first career three-home run game, giving Soto 33 dingers for the season. Cannon yielded three runs over 4 2/3 innings, striking out four in 95 pitches (53 strikes).

“You can pitch around guys, and I wasn’t going to throw him too good a pitch,” said Cannon of facing Soto. “The first one he hit, I missed my spot with a sinker and kind of left it over the middle. The second one, kind of threw it where I was looking, back-door cutter looking for a take, and [he] put a good swing on it.”

As important as these young players are in a rebuild, Robert stands as the driving force. He won’t blame trade rumors around the Deadline or fighting his way back from an April 5 right hip flexor strain for his ongoing struggles.

Maybe that eighth-inning single, with a 104.7 mph exit velocity per Statcast, brings about a change.