It’s a good thing White Sox pitcher Lance Lynn is back from injury because Sox slugger Eloy Jimenez still isn’t. We can only hope Jose Abreu’s and Luis Robert’s sore lower bodies don’t knock them from the lineup, especially with Danny Mendick’s and Adam Engel’s lower bodies now keeping them out of it. How’s Yoan Moncada? Tim Anderson? Aaron Bummer? Liam Hendriks?
Out, in. In, out. It’s too much to keep track of and absolutely exhausting, and that’s just for those of us lazing on the sofa.
In this week’s “Polling Place,” your home for Sun-Times sports polls on Twitter, we asked if the Sox — given all their injuries — still are the pick to win the American League Central.
“By 10 games,” a confident @gbmat1 commented, though the results of our poll beg to differ.
We also asked how many games the Cubs will lose — at least 100? — and which player drafted Thursday will have the best NBA career. Paolo Banchero? Chet Holmgren? Jabari Smith? Or someone else?
On to the polls:
Poll No. 1: Given all their injuries, are the White Sox still your pick to win the AL Central?
Upshot: “Their superior talent will win out over 162 games,” @JeffreyCanalia wrote. Again, though, that’s not what the results of our poll say. Undoubtedly less because of the quality of the Twins and/or Guardians and more because of the nonstop personnel mess the Sox find themselves in, respondents came down heavily in the “no” camp. There’s still lots of time for the Sox, but it has been grueling so far.
Poll No. 2: The Cubs are on pace for their first 100-loss season since 2012. Will triple digits happen?
Upshot: Just 100? Why stop there? “They have a shot at 200,” @DismasTheGood cracked. The Cubs lost 101 games in 2012, 103 in 1966 and 103 in 1962, which was the year the major league season jumped from 154 to 162 games. So there’s a chance — a real one — this will be a record-setting Cubs team in a most ignominious way. But, hey, it’s all part of the plan, right?
Poll No. 3: Which member of the 2022 NBA draft class will have the best career?
Upshot: Oops, we forgot to include Dalen Terry, whom the Bulls picked from Arizona at No. 18. Sorry about that. But we did include the guys who went 1 through 3, each of whom has one of those so-called ceilings that’s so high up there, anything seems possible. Or what about Purdue guard Jaden Ivey, a spectacular athlete who went No. 5 to Detroit? That’s @notjimrose’s guess, for what it’s worth.
