White Sox DH Jose Abreu Says He'd 'Be Lying' If He Said He Felt 100% in ALDS Game 1

Jose Abreu, still recovering from the flu, told reporters after Thursday's 6-1 loss to the Houston Astros in Game 1 of an American League Division Series that he still wasn't himself.

Batting third, the designated hitter went 2-for-4 with the team's lone RBI. 

"He caught a bit of the flu," manager Tony La Russa told reporters Wednesday. "Got to the workout yesterday [in Chicago], and he had had a tough night with fever, and now we're all brimming with happiness and excitement because the fever broke.

"He passed the [COVID-19] test, which [is] mandatory, and he'll be flying back here tonight."

Abreu's teammates didn't sound as though they expected Abreu to miss the game.

"I think he's the biggest key that we need healthy," Tim Anderson told reporters. "But I'm sure you know, we all know, how stubborn he is, and you know he's not going to want to sit out. He's not going to be happy about that."

The White Sox tested Abreu pregame to ensure he was up to playing and even had two lineups prepared just in case. But La Russa joked with reporters that it would have been tough for him to keep the veteran slugger out of the lineup.

"He's in," he said before the game. "I'd show you the spike mark on my chest if he wasn't."

Abreu, 34, had another excellent season in 2021, hitting .261 with 30 homers, 117 RBI, 86 runs and an .831 OPS in 152 games. His power has made him irreplaceable for the White Sox, especially as they seek to climb out of an early hole in their series against the Astros.

And Abreu's status going forward will be closely monitored:

It's hard to imagine Abreu won't play, even if he's back at DH. If he has lingering symptoms, they didn't seem to limit him at the plate Thursday.