Why José Abreu asked to sit for White Sox season finale originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Will Tuesday prove to be the last time we see José Abreu in the starting lineup in a White Sox uniform?
Abreu, whose future with the White Sox beyond this season is cloudy, was not in the lineup for Wednesday’s season finale — as acting manager Miguel Cairo said would be the case Tuesday night.
Before Wednesday’s game, Abreu explained his absence from the starting nine.
"I asked Cairo to not play today because I want to enjoy this game with him and have the manager's perspective of the game,” Abreu said in a statement.
Abreu leads the White Sox with 157 games played. He told Cairo he wanted to play Tuesday and take Wednesday off.
“I said, ‘OK, I respect that,’” Cairo said. “How can you say no to him when he played [157] games and gave everything every day to play the game?”
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RELATED: José Abreu's White Sox future murky entering offseason
Abreu is in his ninth season with the White Sox and is set to become a free agent after this season. While he said this week “of course” he wants to play in 2023, whether he returns to the White Sox is uncertain.
Cairo was unsure if Abreu would even pinch hit Wednesday, but the acting manager was hopeful a moment would present itself for fans to acknowledge the longtime White Sox slugger.
“I hope it happens,” Cairo said.
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