White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez out 5-6 months with torn pectoral tendon

Chicago White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez will need surgery to repair a ruptured pectoral tendon, with an estimated recovery time of five to six months, general manager Rick Hahn said Thursday.

The news is a major blow to a White Sox team that's expected to contend for an AL Central title this season under new manager Tony La Russa.

Jimenez, 24, hit 31 homers as a rookie in 2019, then improved his batting average (.296), on-base percentage (.332) and slugging percentage (.559) across the board in his second season.

• MLB: Team-by-team injury updates

He suffered the injury in Wednesday's spring training game attempting to catch a ball hit by Oakland's Sean Murphy that cleared the outfield fence for a home run.

Hahn said the team is optimistic Jimenez -- the No. 48 overall player in USA TODAY Sports' 2021 preseason fantasy baseball rankings -- will return to action this season.

However, his lengthy absence could force the team to look to the trade market to fill his spot in the everyday lineup. In the meantime, La Russa said top prospect Andrew Vaughn, who's primarily a first baseman, would start in left field in Friday's exhibition game against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Follow Gardner on Twitter @SteveAGardner

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Eloy Jimenez: White Sox slugger to undergo surgery for ruptured tendon