Luis Robert Jr. reflects on his 'beautiful journey' with White Sox in his return with Mets

LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune on Aug 21, 2026

Published in Baseball

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NEW YORK — Luis Robert Jr. was glad to be back at Rate Field on Friday. Even though there were a few differences.

“It feels great to return,” the outfielder said through an interpreter. “But at the same time, it feels a little weird coming through the way of the visitors. It feels a little strange, it feels a little bit foreign. But I’m very excited to be back.”

Robert, a key contributor for the Chicago White Sox from 2020-25, returned Friday to his former home with the New York Mets as the teams began a three-game series. He was traded to the Mets in the offseason.

Robert described his time with the Sox as having “a lot of highs and lows, both personally as a player and as a team.”

He had six up-and-injury-related-down major league seasons with the club, slashing .259/.313/.455 with 115 doubles, two triples, 102 home runs, 298 RBIs, 318 runs and 102 stolen bases in 577 games.

Robert played tremendous defense, earning a Gold Glove Award in 2020. All of his talents were on display in 2023 when he was named an American League All-Star while finishing with 38 home runs and 80 RBIs.

But he was slowed at times by injuries. Robert played at least 100 games in three seasons — the 2020 season was shortened to 60 games because of the pandemic — with 110 in 2025 being the second-most in his career.

As for the team, the Sox reached the playoffs in each of his first two seasons, winning a division title in 2021. But the Sox were a 100-loss team in each of his last three years, including a modern-era major league record 121 defeats in 2024.

“When I first got here, the team played really well,” Robert said. “But those last few years, we didn’t get the job done the way that we wanted to. But at the same time, I can look back at it as a beautiful journey, a beautiful experience for me.”

Former teammates such as Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas said Robert was helpful in a variety of ways.

“Especially in ’24, when I wasn’t having a very great time,” Vargas said Friday. “Especially he welcomed me in the clubhouse (after Vargas was traded to the team in July of 2024). First guy to text me when I got traded here.

“So, he’s my brother. Besides baseball, he’s my brother personally. I think what he means to me and the impact he’s had on my life has been amazing.”

Sox manager Will Venable enjoyed working with Robert last season.

“One of the guys I was really excited to manage getting this job,” Venable said Friday. “Obviously the talent that he is and the things that he’s been able to do on the field and then to get to know him more and understand how hard he works behind the scenes, how hard he plays on the field and just his passion for the White Sox and baseball, and just everything that he put into doing his best out there.

“It was just an awesome guy to be around.”

The Sox traded Robert to the Mets for infielder/outfielder Luisangel Acuña and minor league right-handed pitcher Truman Pauley on Jan. 20.

Robert said the success the Sox are having this season “doesn’t surprise me at all.”

“Before I got traded in the offseason, I saw the moves they were making and the necessary moves to improve the team and that’s what they were doing,” Robert said. “So seeing how they are playing right now doesn’t surprise me at all.

“Obviously I’m not with the team anymore, but this is a team that I was with a long time and it will always have a special place in my heart, so I keep tabs on the results of the games and I’m really proud to see how they’ve been performing this season.”

Robert came into Friday’s game slashing .215/.290/.362 with seven home runs and 19 RBIs in 49 games this season. He was on the injured list from April 30-July 20 with a lumbar spine disc herniation.

“This season has been pretty similar to how other parts of my career have gone, where I’ve been hurt, where I’ve been off the field,” Robert said. “The most important thing for me is to finish the season strong and go out there and try to be the best version of myself.”