‘Just have to be careful with him’: Right leg soreness slows down Eloy Jiménez in rehab assignment for the Chicago White Sox OF

Eloy Jiménez’s rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte got off to a less than ideal start when the outfielder exited Saturday’s game in Durham, N.C., with right leg soreness.

He left after singling to right field in the second inning.

“He did feel a tug in one of his swings, not running,” Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa said Sunday. “So after a couple at-bats, they backed him out. I talked to (head athletic trainer James) Kruk. It’s not perfect, it’s not what you would hope, but it still doesn’t change the expectation that he’s healing and on his way. Just have to be careful with him.”

Jiménez has been out since April 23 when he suffered an injury that required surgery to repair a torn hamstring tendon behind his right knee.

He went 1-for-2 before leaving Saturday’s game. La Russa said it was described to him as “part of the healing.”

“He’s just not completely 100% yet,” La Russa said of Jiménez, who is now day to day. “He knows what he feels, and we have to rely on it.”

Sox pitcher Lance Lynn has joined Jiménez with the Knights and is the scheduled starter Sunday night against Durham.

Lynn is working his way back from right knee surgery to repair a torn tendon. He is eligible to be reinstated from the injured list June 6.

Back at Guaranteed Rate Field, Sox third baseman Yoán Moncada was not in the starting lineup for a third consecutive game. General manager Rick Hahn said Moncada, who last played May 25, was “dealing with a quad.”

“It’s not an IL situation but something we want to nip in the bud sooner than later before it becomes something large,” Hahn said Saturday.

La Russa said, “Our expectation is — and we’re hopeful — that he would be able to play Tuesday (at Toronto). But he doesn’t feel right yet, so it may not be Tuesday.”

Center fielder Luis Robert might be back by then. He has been on the COVID-19 related injured list since Tuesday.

“He was much improved today,” La Russa said. “And if we get the go ahead, it’s likely that he would be OK to make the trip to Toronto with us. He’s made that much of an improvement. And he feels a lot better, a little tired when he does some work. It would be good to see him.

“He has done some work so hopefully we get the green light and he can work out here (Monday morning) before we take off.”