Chicago White Sox outfielder AJ Pollock returns from the IL for the series opener against the Minnesota Twins

MINNEAPOLIS — AJ Pollock faced Lucas Giolito at the Chicago White Sox complex in Arizona earlier this week while both were recovering from injuries.

The result of an at-bat depends on which player you ask.

“The wind was going 40 mph to left field, so it was kind of cutting balls,” Pollock said before Friday’s game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. “(One at-bat) would have been a popup to mid-outfield. The other one to center either an out or maybe a home run.

The outfielder added with a smile: “He’s going to call it an out, I’ll call it a homer and we’ll both feel good about it. Stats don’t matter. There were no stats there.”

Pollock returned from the injured list Friday and was in the starting lineup in center fielder for the series opener against the Twins. He had been out since April 9 when he suffered a strained right hamstring after a single in the third inning of the second game of the season in Detroit.

“I think I’m in a good spot, don’t want to jinx anything,” Pollock said. “They did a great job with me. We’ll go out and play some baseball.”

The Sox received more positive news, deciding to not place Luis Robert on the IL after a scare Thursday. Robert left the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field in the eighth inning with a groin strain after running to first on a groundout.

“He did the MRI and it’s what we hoped for,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “He felt a little tug and he stopped so he didn’t keep running through it. I would think (he’s) not playing these three (against the Twins) and (the team is) off Monday.

“If we can play him Tuesday and not lose him for 10 days (on the IL), it’s huge.”

Pollock liked having the chance to bat against Giolito, who is expected to return from a left abdominal strain Sunday, while ramping up.

“Honestly, for me you get to go face one of the top pitchers in the game, I got to get three at-bats off him, that’s pretty awesome,” Pollock said. “That was better than any rehab assignment you can ever do, in my opinion.”

Pollock already was scheduled to go on paternity leave around the time of the injury. He got to go home for the birth of his daughter.

“That was important,” he said. “Honestly, it was a weird way to do it. I was expecting a three-day deal and I was going to miss three games anyway. Missed a couple of more because of a tweaked hammy. A wild time, very excited, very blessed to be able to go back there and do that. It was amazing. And we had a good place to do rehab for the hamstring too.

“It all worked out well.”

Pollock had four hits in his first seven at-bats with a double, one RBI and a run before the injury. He’ll try to pick up where he left off.

“You never know until you get out there,” Pollock said. “I just feel like, keep the process and whatever that means, if it’s results, great, if not, keep doing it and usually the results follow. We’ll see.”

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Pollock is also ready for any outfield assignment.

“Just a little bit different, the nuances of each one,” Pollock said. “I’m just going in there, I’m ready to play. They’re going to tell me where I fit in and I’ll get out there and do my job and help the ball club.”

In Friday’s corresponding roster move, the Sox placed reliever Matt Foster on the Family Medical Leave List. Foster has a 1.42 ERA and five strikeouts in five relief appearances.