Gavin Sheets exited Wednesday’s game in the sixth inning with a heel bruise and had to be replaced by Corey Julks in right field. Sheets was also out of the lineup on Thursday.
The injury occurred after Sheets had gone 1–for 2 with a double in Wednesday’s series finale against the Dodgers. He popped out to left field on the first pitch he saw in the fourth inning and did not see any action in right field in the fifth inning before leaving the game. He was listed as day-to-day. Luckily for the White Sox, X-rays of Sheets’ heel came back negative.
“Just jammed the heel a little bit,” Sheets told MLB.com. “Tests have come back pretty good. MRIs and X-rays and stuff, so that’s a positive. Now it’s going to be all pain tolerance going forward.”
Sheets has been one of the few pleasant surprises on the White Sox this season. After hitting just .203 with a .598 OPS last season, Sheets is currently hitting .243 with a .747 OPS. He also has seven home runs and 28 RBIs which is on track to surpass last year’s total of 10 and 43. His 11.6 walk rate ranks in the MLB’s 87th percentile while his sweet spot percentage, which measures balls hit with a launch angle ranging between 8 to 32 degrees, ranks in the 98th percentile.
Sheets is expected to return to the lineup during the White Sox homestand against the Rockies.
