Chicago White Sox star outfielder Luis Robert has consistently struggled with injuries throughout his five-year MLB career, a trend that he unfortunately hasn’t shaken heading into the 2024 season. But according to former White Sox manager turned NBC Sports Chicago studio analyst Ozzie Guillen, the explanation for the injuries is quite simple.
In Friday’s game between the White Sox and the Kansas City Royals, Robert was forced to leave the game after hobbling to second base on a double in the ninth inning.
#WhiteSox Luis Robert Jr. left tonight's game injured.
He comes up limping rounding 1st base in the 9th inning on this double. pic.twitter.com/utlfzRRKAg
— Mike Kurland (@Mike_Kurland) April 6, 2024
Robert was officially diagnosed with a hip flexor injury by the team and was subsequently placed on the 10-day IL before Saturday’s game.
Prior to tonight’s game at Kansas City, the #WhiteSox placed outfielder Luis Robert Jr. on the 10-day injured list with a right hip flexor strain and recalled infielder Lenyn Sosa from Class AAA Charlotte.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) April 6, 2024
Robert suffered the same injury in 2021, missing three months of action because of it. So it is obviously an area of concern for the White Sox.
In all five seasons, Robert has played over 100 games just once. So the obvious question is what exactly is the reasoning for all of these injuries popping up over the course of his career?
Well, Ozzie Guillen had an out-of-the-box explanation for Robert’s injury-riddled career, saying that he may not have enough fat on his body.
“Like Jon Kruk always said, fat never pulls, you can’t pull fat,” said Guillen after the White Sox’s 2-1 loss on Friday. “Eat right, be careful what you eat. Nah man, I remember guys having 6,7,12 Budweisers and three hamburgers going and getting it man. And they played all year long.”
Ozzie might be on to something…
"You can't pull fat. I remember guys having 12 Budweisers and 3 hamburgers, and they played all year long." pic.twitter.com/QDRQJRcTjE
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) April 6, 2024
I’m not exactly sure that the advice to young athletes should be to have them drinking double-digit beers and three hamburgers a night to stay healthy… But there could be a bit of truth to the meaning behind Guillen’s comments.
If Robert is overworking on his physique outside of baseball, he could very well be susceptible to similar kinds of injuries.
Who knows, maybe he is just a player who has had incredibly bad luck when it comes to his body. But as far as Guillen is concerned, Robert should try adding a few fatty foods into his diet in the future.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.