Yoan Moncada will likely need rehab stint before returning to White Sox

Yoan Moncada is eligible to come off the 10-day injured list this weekend, but that won’t happen. With White Sox manager Pedro Grifol saying Moncada will likely need a minor league rehab stint when his sore lower back is well, a timetable for the third baseman’s return isn’t even on the grid.

Moncada landed on the 10-day IL retroactive to April 11. Whereas Eloy Jimenez (hamstring) returned from the the IL without a minor league stint, Grifol said Moncada being a position player and Jimenez primarily a DH is why Moncada will need a few games to sharpen up.

“Third base is a reactionary position, there’s some diving involved, there’s a lot of movement,” Grifol said. “So there’s a good possibility that he will [go on a rehab assignment].”

After missing 10 days with a mild hamstring strain, Jimenez did not go on a rehab assignment. He is 3-fore-17 with no extra-base hits and eight strikeouts since returning.

Grifol didn’t rule out Moncada returning this weekend when the Sox play the Rays in St. Petersburg, Florida, but the writing appears to be on the wall. From there, the Sox play the Blue Jays in Toronto before returning home to play the Rays next Thursday.

“He’s getting better, but there’s a process to this thing,” Grifol said. “Now he’s missed significant time to where there’s going to be some added stuff to his progression and his return. So probably not, but who knows?”

With Jake Burger hitting four home runs in five games, Moncada’s offense hasn’t been terribly missed, even though he was batting 308/.325/.564. There’s no way to escape the difference in defense, however.

To that end, Burger was out doing early defensive work before a day game that followed a night game.

“He’s going to do early work every day,” Grifol said. “He knows that there are some things that he needs to develop, and [coach] Eddie [Rodriguez] has a really thorough plan with him. We’re never going to stop developing players at this level.”

Burger was hitting .308/.367/.962 with five homers in 10 games entering Wednesday.