BREAKING: Jose Abreu Does NOT Have COVID
Good news, bad news here: Good news is Abreu doesn't have COVID. If he did, he'd probably be banged for at least a few games in the series, even though the chances he'd be asymptomatic would be pretty high considering he's already had the virus and he's vaxxed.
The bad news is that he's sick. He was randomly out of the lineup on Sunday when the rest of the starters were playing. I thought that was odd as he HATES taking off days and now we know why. It's been 3 days since Sunday and hopefully they're pumping him through all sorts of vitamins, minerals, fluids, antibiotics, whatever to get him right. Jose Abreu is the life blood of this team. He's been through every single high and low with this organization over the last 8 years and if anyone deserves a long playoff run, it's him. If he can't play because he has a fucking flu bug, I'd hate that for Abreu first and foremost and would go on a rampage against the baseball gods. Needless to say, that would absolutely fucking suck.
Hopefully it's one of those things where he wakes up and feels like a million bucks tomorrow after being under the weather for a few days. Fingers crossed. Need Pito on the big stage. If he's full go, I have a sneaky feeling he's going to really rise to the occasion for October. He's been waiting his whole life for this and no, the weird 60 game season playoff last year doesn't really count to me.
***OTHER NEWS AND NOTES***
Lynn game 1, Gio game 2. This surprises me a little bit as a lot of people assumed it be Gio game 1/Lynn game 2, but at the same time it's whatever to me. Give the big bastard the ball and let him shove for 6 innings before giving way to the bullpen. What I don't like is automatically pencilling Gio into game 2. Say the White Sox win tomorrow - I'd STRONGLY consider starting Rodon for game 2. It is of vital importance to at least split in Houston. If the Sox win game 1, I'd ride with Rodon in game 2 then give the ball to Gio in game 3 and Cease game 4 before running it back with Lynn.
But it's whatever. Let's win both, huh? Sick or not, the White Sox will have to peel Abreu off the diamond to keep him out of the lineup for a single pitch. I'm still confident. I'm also turning into a nervous wreck as I construct this blog.
See everyone for our live stream tomorrow. Let's roll