White Sox's Luis Robert Jr. to Miss MLB All-Star Game with Calf Injury from HR Derby

Luis Robert Jr. will not get the chance to play in his first career All-Star Game.

The Chicago White Sox announced the slugger felt calf tightness during Monday's Home Run Derby and underwent an MRI. The team listed him as day-to-day, and he will not play in Tuesday's All-Star Game as a result.

Chicago will reevaluate him ahead of Friday's game against the Atlanta Braves to determine if he is healthy enough to return.

Robert was the No. 1 seed in Monday's eight-man competition and advanced to the second round with a win over Adley Rutschman of the Baltimore Orioles.

Yet he apparently started feeling the calf tightness in that opening round and ended up losing in the second round to Randy Arozarena. Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. won the Home Run Derby by defeating Arozarena in the finals.

The timing is certainly less than ideal for Robert considering he was set to appear in the first All-Star Game of his career thanks to his impressive first half.

He is slashing .271/.330/.569 with 26 home runs, 51 RBI and eight stolen bases. While he is a career .284 hitter who has shown some speed on the basepaths in the past, it is his power that stands out this season. His career-high for long balls in a campaign before 2023 was the 13 he hit in 2021.

The 2020 Gold Glover is also an excellent fielder and is responsible for seven defensive runs saved above average in center field this season, per FanGraphs.

Robert has been one of the few bright spots for the 38-54 White Sox this season. However, all hope is not lost for the club since there isn't a single team in the entire American League Central with a winning record at the All-Star break.

Chicago will likely need Robert back and healthy if it is going to make a late charge, so it can at least take solace knowing he is just listed as day-to-day at this point.