(670 The Score) After battling an illness that included flu-like symptoms for the past several days, White Sox star Jose Abreu went 2-for-4 with his team’s lone RBI in Chicago’s 6-1 loss at Houston in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Thursday.
Abreu didn’t travel with his teammates to Houston on Tuesday as he was under the weather. He joined the club in Houston on Wednesday evening and – to the surprise of no one in the organization who has seen his dedication and toughness through the years – was in the lineup Thursday, batting third and serving as the designated hitter even though he still was feeling the effects of his illness.
“It's been difficult,” Abreu told reporters postgame. “I don't really understand why this is happening, but it's part of life. I have to keep going.
“If I tell you that I'm feeling 100 percent, I would be lying to you, but you know what, I have to recognize that the training staff that we have, they've done a good job with me. The fight today, because the commitment that I have with this team, I have to give my best to this team every day. It doesn't matter how I feel or how many days I went without playing. It was important for me and for the team for me to play today.”
The expectation is Abreu will be back in the lineup when Game 2 starts at 1:07 p.m. CT on Friday, but he wasn’t sure if he would play first base, saying, “I will see what we can do.”
White Sox manager Tony La Russa praised Abreu’s toughness and explained how he has been the heart and soul of the team.
“The more you're around our club, what he did today is routine, and you almost take it for granted except it would be a terrible mistake to make because his commitment to the team and his toughness is as good as it can possibly be by anybody that's ever played the game,” La Russa said.
The White Sox weren’t sure Abreu would be in their lineup until about an hour before first pitch Thursday. They wanted to see him go through batting practice before deciding.
“If you watch his batting practice, I mean, he did all the things,” La Russa said. “The medical staff was on top of it. He ran. The fever didn't come back. He took batting practice, and he was striking the ball well. He ends up getting a couple of hits.
“But he has done that – like I say, if you watched our club, unfortunately, he's had to show that toughness more than he should.”