Chicago White Sox CF Luis Robert Jr. begins May with an impressive display in the field and at the plate: ‘It’s just baseball’

Luis Robert Jr. has showcased his ability to take away an extra-base hit with a tremendous catch.

Against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday at the Great American Ball Park, the Chicago White Sox center fielder showed off his arm by doubling off a runner at first with a sensational throw after making a catch.

The sequence came at a critical part, too, with the Sox leading by one run in the ninth inning. Reliever Reynaldo López followed the double play with a strikeout to preserve a 5-4 victory.

“I didn’t think that the runner (Jake Fraley) would take such a huge lead because it was honestly a routine fly,” Robert said through an interpreter before Wednesday’s game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. “When I saw that, I thought ‘Let’s try it.’ I took advantage of it.

“Nobody talks much about my arm strength, but that’s also because I feel like I don’t have a super arm.”

Robert has been superb recently at the plate. He homered in that game, a two-run shot that gave the Sox the lead for good.

He entered Wednesday with an eight-game hitting streak and slashed .462/.588/.923 (12-for-26) during the stretch with three doubles, three home runs, eight RBIs and 10 runs. He hit a solo homer Tuesday in a 4-2 victory against the Royals.

Robert said he hasn’t been doing anything specifically different.

“It’s just baseball,” Robert said. “You won’t always be getting the results that you are hoping to get, and that’s baseball. But you need to keep working hard and the results are going to be there sooner rather than later if you work hard.”

Robert entered Wednesday slashing .261/.331/.507 with eight homers and 21 RBIs in 36 games.

“I actually see them in a good place right now,” Sox manager Pedro Grifol said Monday. “They are working on swing decisions a lot in the cages. We are trying to emulate (at-bats) in the cages and working on swing decisions. That’s really important to us. We’ve done it now for about a week and a half. We are seeing some improvements.

“It could be guys are getting more comfortable at the plate. There are a lot of things that could go into that. When you are not swinging the bat well, you tend to kind of expand the zone a little bit, get yourself in trouble. But for the most part our guys are starting to shrink the strike zone a little bit and getting good pitches to hit.”

Five of Robert’s nine walks have come during the hitting streak.

“It’s about experience,” Robert said of displaying patience at the plate. “(With) more experience, you know more how they are attacking you. I’m also able to make adjustments on a daily basis because they aren’t always attacking you the same way. Then for you to be able to recognize that, I think you do that with experience.”

There also was a teachable moment when Robert was pulled from an April 29 game against the Tampa Bay Rays after slowing up on the way to first base. Communication was a component in the situation.

“I definitely understand that part,” Robert said. “They are trying to protect you, but I also know the importance of being able to play. If I feel that I can play in a higher percentage, even though it’s not 100%, if I feel like I am able to run I will do it. I will push for it.”

Billy Hamilton to the IL as part of 4 roster moves

The Sox made four roster moves Wednesday, including placing outfielder Billy Hamilton on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain retroactive to Sunday.

“He felt a little funky (after a stolen base against the Minnesota Twins) but it wasn’t really that bad,” Grifol said Wednesday, “but it kept getting worse little by little and (they) did some imaging here and (he) needed a break.”

The Sox also selected the contract of outfielder Jake Marisnick from Triple-A Charlotte, recalled pitcher Nick Padilla from Charlotte and designated reliever Alexander Colomé for assignment.

Marisnick slashed .264/.407/.391 with six doubles, one home run, nine RBIs, 17 walks, 12 runs and eight stolen bases in 30 games with the Knights.

“Jake will play defense late, he’ll run, he’ll pinch run,” Grifol said. “He’ll get in there against left-handed pitching. Happy to have him here, a really good defender, a right-handed bat, can run the bases, steal some bases, high energy, high motor.”

Sox remember longtime scout Dave Yoakum

Yoakum died Wednesday at his home in Orlando, Fla. He was 76.

Yoakum was an assistant to the general manager with the Sox from 1991-2020. They made the postseason five times during that stretch, including winning the World Series in 2005.

Yoakum was a co-founder of the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation.