There was a hope that Luis Robert would be available as soon as Tuesday after he missed the weekend series in Minnesota with a right groin pull, but Robert was sidelined yet again Thursday and missed the entire series against the Royals.

When Robert took batting practice and ran the bases Thursday morning, he was already out written out of the lineup.

“The chances are improving that he can play [Friday], but we’ll wait to see what [trainer] James [Kruk] says,” manager Tony La Russa said.

Robert sustained the injury running out a ground ball in Cleveland Thursday.

Second life

Andrew Vaughn is filling in for injured Eloy Jimenez in left field and in the No. 2 spot in the lineup for Robert. Vaughn doesn’t have Vaughn’s speed, a bonus near the top of the lineup, but he’s a tough out whose productivity makes sense in that spot.

“He’s going to hit somewhere important in the lineup because he’s taking great at-bats,” La Russa said.

“He’s actually got a good strike zone, he can start a rally, hit in the middle of one or finish. …he’s special.”

Asked what happens when Robert returns, La Russa said, “I just hope we get him back tomorrow and we’ll be better wherever he hits.”

Second base in flux

Opening Day second baseman Josh Harrison, still not 100 percent after hurting his shoulder making an acrobatic catch in Cleveland last Wednesday, missed a second day after getting back in the lineup as the DH Tuesday.

“He gave me the dirty look that he’s not playing today,” La Russa said. “But we follow that one thing: ‘As soon as you say you’re ready, we give you one more day.’ So he’ll play tomorrow. He’s ready to go, he can come off the bench.”

Vaughn played second base in a pinch in Kansas City last season, and Jake Burger has taken ground balls at second.

“I think when you’ve got guys missing like we have, it’s healthy for them and for us to be creative and build in that versatility,” La Russa said. “It worked last year. When push comes to shove, playing either one of those guys — Burger on the infield or bring Vaughn in — I would hesitate, but it wouldn’t prevent it.”

The Sox are not considering moving Yoan Moncada back to second base, where he began his career with the team. Moncada switched to third in 2019 and has played his best defense on the corner.

Injury reminders

Yoan Moncada, who suffered an oblique strain before the last game of spring training, went through drills and is off to Charlotte Friday. He will play for the Triple-A Knights Saturday in the first game of his rehab assignment.

*Catcher Yasmani Grandal was at DH a second straight day after tweaking something in his leg running the bases Tuesday, but is lined up to catch Lucas Gioloto Friday against the Twins. Reese McGuire has caught Michael Kopech in each of Kopech’s four starts, including Thursday.

*Right-hander Lance Lynn threw a bullpen at Guaranteed Rate Field and is on track for a return as soon as late May, La Russa said.

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The DeRozan household has a tic-tac-toe prodigy in it.

Who knew?

According to DeMar DeRozan, one of his daughters taught him an unbeatable strategy in tic-tac-toe, guaranteed to win games and frustrate opponents.

A skillset that the Bulls veteran had no problem adding to his offensive repertoire off the court this season. In one case, on a team charter and against teammate Zach LaVine.

“I remember we played tic-tac-toe on the plane, and I kept beating [LaVine],” DeRozan said. “He wouldn’t leave me alone until he beat me. And that’s just him on the court as well. Him being the ultimate competitor outside of being just a helluva individual outside of basketball. On the court? One of the more fierce competitors I’ve ever played with.”

And one that DeRozan felt deserved to be a max contract player this offseason.

Sounding somewhat like a close friend turned agent, DeRozan obviously felt like LaVine not only outplayed the four-year, $78 million contract he signed back in 2018, but put himself in position to be paid like league royalty.

“Max player, max talent, max everything,” DeRozan replied, when asked about LaVine’s pending unrestricted free agency this summer. “He’s one of those players in this league that you don’t see too often. I tell him all the time how envious I am of the things he’s able to do. He deserves everything that’s coming to him for sure.”

What’s immediately coming LaVine’s way first is a surgical procedure on his left knee, which was expected to happen very quickly with the Bulls eliminated from the first round of the playoffs in Milwaukee on Wednesday night.

If that surgery goes as expected and there are no lingering concerns, then comes the LaVine pay day, with the Bulls saying all the right things about keeping the two-time All-Star in the red, white and black.

There is an argument to be made that LaVine has only taken the Bulls to the playoffs once in his career, and that came this season when he wasn’t even the best player on the team. Maxing out a guy who played on a No. 6 seed and was eliminated in the first round isn’t always good business, especially when that player is a guard that often focuses on just one side of the ball.

What the Bulls will be investing in, however, was what they saw from LaVine in the summer with Team USA, and then the first six weeks of the regular season, before his left knee started betraying him.

That LaVine averaged 25.5 points per game on 48.1% shooting and posted an eye-opening 105.1 defensive rating in October, and then followed that up with 25.3 points per game on 48.9% shooting with a 112.8 defensive rating in 16 games through November.

LaVine was asked by the Sun-Times in late November about being worthy of the max contract status, as well as his new-found attention to playing defense, and said, “How’s my defensive rating now? It’s better. What does that tell you?”

A lot.

The numbers obviously dipped drastically for LaVine on the defensive side when the knee started bothering him, but the Bulls sound willing to give him the pass on that.

They may be willing to give passes to a good part of the roster and actually run a very similar looking cast of characters back next season, plus some much needed tweaks. Nikola Vucevic indicated that on Thursday, discussing his exit meeting with the front office and coaching staff.

“They want to have continuity, that’s for sure,” Vucevic said. “As far as moves they can make, I don’t really know that. That’s their job.”

The one concern to come out of the player exit meetings?

Lonzo Ball admitted that his surgically repaired left knee was still giving him pain and he was scheduled to meet with another specialist next week. Ball also didn’t take another surgery off the table.

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April tends to be the busiest month on NBC Sports Chicago’s calendar. The White Sox’ season is beginning, and the Blackhawks’ and Bulls’ seasons are ending. If the network is lucky, the Bulls and/or Hawks will give it some playoff games, too.

That’s what this April has been like, and I’ve consumed a bunch of it, surely more than any doctor would recommend. I’m not just talking about the game broadcasts, which are largely enjoyed by fans (though often despite the outcome). The pregame and postgame shows are part of the viewing experience, too.

With all of the teams’ shows airing this month – sometimes simultaneously – I found myself comparing and contrasting them. Though they share the same sets, they have different energy, style and vibes. So, as is my wont, I broke them down and ranked them:

1. Bulls

Jason Goff didn’t take long to become a great TV host after making a name for himself at The Score. He’s knowledgeable, runs the show well and keeps his fandom muted. Let’s face it: Everyone on these shows is a fan of the team, and that’s fine because fans are watching. The cast wants viewers to feel like they’re all in this together. But there must be objectivity.

Analysts and former Bulls Kendall Gill and Will Perdue aren’t carrying a torch for the team. They’re happy to praise a strong effort, but they won’t hold back their criticism. They also teach the game. But most important, they’re entertaining. They keep viewers’ attention not just with their information but with their energy and the rapport they share with Goff and each other.

2. White Sox

The show has instant credibility among Sox fans because of analysts Ozzie Guillen and Frank Thomas. It’s hard to imagine a better twosome to draw viewers. They wear their emotions on their sleeve, and they can be brutally honest. They actually can be more entertaining when the Sox are losing.

Host Chuck Garfien also is entertaining, and he speaks to Sox fans because he’s one, too. A really big one. Maybe too big. I’m all for rooting for the home team, but sometimes it’s too much. The star of the show is Guillen, who has a great combination of humor and insight.

3. Blackhawks

Pat Boyle is in a tough spot. Goff works with a 15-year NBA veteran in Gill and a three-time NBA champion in Perdue. Garfien works with a World Series-winning manager in Guillen and a Hall of Famer in Thomas. Boyle works with Caley Chelios and Colby Cohen. It looks more like he’s teaching a college class than hosting a TV show. But the Hawks have been intent on skewing their broadcasts younger.

Cohen has been a lightning rod for fans, who didn’t see a need to replace Steve Konroyd and Jamal Mayers. Cohen can be talkative and his humor doesn’t always land, but the venom seems extreme. He has done well reporting from between the benches, and he brings personality to a studio show that’s low on energy.

Granted, the Hawks haven’t done anything to be energetic about, but that doesn’t mean the show has to suffer. At times it sounds like the cast pulls punches in a situation that requires a combination and a roundhouse. The organization certainly wouldn’t tolerate the criticism the Bulls’ and Sox’ analysts can deliver. I’ve long wanted Hawks great Jeremy Roenick on this show, but there’s no chance of that.

Bonus observation

Those Webex by Cisco promos that feature a team reporter chiming in remotely – seemingly from a remote location – don’t do the service any favors. The picture and audio are a downgrade from the TV feed. Viewers even have seen a reporter who’s sitting in the studio appear on the promo. What sense does that make? He’s right there!

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Andrew Woolfolk, a longtime saxophonist for Earth, Wind & Fire, has died at 71.

Lead singer of the band Philip J. Bailey announced Woolfolk’s death on Instagram Monday. “We lost him today, after being ill of over 6 years,” Bailey wrote, alongside a photo of the two. “He has Transitioned on to the forever, from this Land of the dying to the Land of the Living.”

Bailey did not give further details on the illness Woolfolk was battling.

The Earth, Wind & Fire member recalled meeting Woolfolk in high school and how the two “quickly became friends and band mates.”

“Great memories. Great Talent. Funny. Competitive. Quick witted. And always styling. Booski…I’ll see you on the other side, my friend,” Bailey concluded his post.

The official Instagram account for Earth, Wind & Fire also reposted Bailey’s post.

Woolfolk, who grew up in Denver and was inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame in 2017, was a member of Earth, Wind & Fire from 1973 to 1985, and again from 1987 to 1993. Outside of the R&B group, Woolfolk collaborated with artists including Deniece Williams, Phil Collins, Twennynine and Level 42 and played on Bailey’s 1984 and 1986 albums, “The Wonders of His Love” and “Triumph.”

Woolfolk’s soprano and tenor saxophone sounds became signature elements in many of Earth, Wind & Fire’s biggest hits of the 1970s, most recognizably on “September,” “Let’s Groove,” “Boogie Wonderland” and “Shining Star.” His live performances with the band usually found him sporting the flamboyant shimmery jumpsuits that were a notable aspect of the band’s style.

In 2000, Earth, Wind & Fire – along with Woolfolk – was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The legendary group lost its founder and leader back in 2016 with the death of Maurice White.

Read more at usatoday.com

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