Luis Robert Jr. is off to a rough start with the Chicago White Sox

CHICAGO (AP) — Luis Robert Jr. isn't thinking about the trade deadline at the moment, not with his play so far for the Chicago White Sox.

“I think right now as my season is going I don’t think anybody is going to take a chance on me," Robert said through a translator. "I just focus on trying to get better. I can’t think of anything else.”

Robert is off to a rough start in his sixth season with Chicago, batting just .182 with five homers and 17 RBIs. He also has a .578 OPS and 53 strikeouts in 45 games. He went 0 for 3 in Tuesday night's 1-0 victory over Seattle.

The 27-year-old Robert is still a strong defensive center fielder, a Gold Glove winner in his rookie season in 2020. He also has a team-high 17 steals and 21 runs.

But he is struggling at the plate, and that has been frustrating for him.

“Yes of course. Everybody here works hard to get the results every day," Robert said before the victory over the Mariners. "When you are working hard and the results aren’t there, it’s sad. You feel a little sad for sure.”

Robert has been the subject of trade conversations in the past, but the last-place White Sox haven't found what they think is the right deal for the rebuilding franchise. Robert's contract has $20 million club options for 2026 and 2027, with a $2 million buyout for each season.

If Robert heats up, he could be one of the top sluggers on the market at the July 31 deadline. But he has shown no signs of a turnaround so far.

“We’ve talked, and for me, as an observer, you see a guy that has one mentality on the bases and in the outfield and that’s an aggressive one and then maybe a little in between at the plate,” first-year White Sox manager Will Venable said.

“For me, it’s just about making sure he felt supported. At the same time, we’re challenging him to do all the right things that he needs to do to make adjustments to get better and he’s doing those things.”

Robert was regarded as a rising star as late as 2023, when he batted .264 with 38 homers, 80 RBIs and 20 steals in 145 games. He made the AL All-Star team that year.

But he missed almost two months of last season with a right hip flexor strain, and he finished the year on a career-long homerless drought of 34 games. He batted .224 with 14 homers and 35 RBIs in 100 games.

He thinks his slow start this year has to do with overthinking and his timing at the plate.

“I feel good in the cage. I feel good throughout my preparation for the game," he said. "It’s just a matter of the results haven’t been there in the games. But I’ve been feeling good with my routine.”

A year after Chicago went 41-121, breaking the post-1900 major league record for losses in a season, it is 15-34 after stopping a five-game slide with Tuesday night's victory.

The White Sox signed Adrian Houser to a $1.35 million, one-year contract earlier in the day, and the right-hander pitched six innings of two-hit ball against the Mariners. To make room for Houser on the roster, right-hander Yoendrys Gómez was designated for assignment.

Houser, 32, opted out of his contract when he was released by Texas on Thursday. He went 2-2 with a 5.03 ERA in nine games with Triple-A Round Rock this year. He is 33-39 with a 4.17 ERA in 153 appearances in the majors, also playing for Milwaukee and the New York Mets.

With Houser joining the rotation, Bryse Wilson is going back to Chicago's bullpen.

“These opportunities don’t come very often, so you don’t want to fumble it,” Houser said. "You want to be able to go out there and win games for your team and do everything you can to stay up here.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) runs in the outfield against the Seattle Mariners during the third inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Chicago White Sox's Luis Robert Jr. bats against the Seattle Mariners during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Chicago White Sox's Luis Robert Jr.runs to first base against the Seattle Mariners during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Chicago White Sox's Luis Robert Jr. bats against the Seattle Mariners during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Chicago White Sox's Luis Robert Jr. runs to first base against the Seattle Mariners during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Four years after showing up late for the Beijing Olympics and missing one of his races because of a case of COVID-19, U.S. long track speedskater Casey Dawson is enjoying what he jokingly terms his “villain arc,” peaking at the right time ahead of the Milan Cortina Games.

Dawson secured a spot for next month in the men's 5,000 meters — an event he was forced to skip in 2022 while sick — by winning at that distance at the U.S. Olympic trials in 6 minutes, 12.857 seconds on Friday night.

“I actually got COVID two or three weeks before going to the competition. Tested positive for 50 straight tests,” said Dawson, a 25-year-old from Park City, Utah. “Couldn’t go over to the Games. I missed the opening ceremonies. Missed the 5,000 meters. Showed up 12 hours before my 1,500 meters. So I kind of got a little screwed over from that point of view. But this time around, I’m just looking forward to getting there smoothly and just getting a little bit of redemption.”

And then, with a chuckle, Dawson added: “It’s kind of fun to have, like, my villain arc, I would call it. Just coming back and having some fun.”

Ethan Cepuran was about 6 1/2 seconds back Friday, finishing next in 6:19.335.

The last American man to medal in the 5,000 at an Olympics was Chad Hedrick at the 2006 Turin Games.

Dawson already had secured the lone U.S. place for Milan in the men’s 10,000 — a race not being contested at these trials — and also will be part of the trio for men’s team pursuit at the Olympics.

Dawson, Cepuran and Emery Lehman took the bronze in that event in Beijing four years ago, set the world record in 2024 and claimed gold in the team pursuit at the world championships in March.

In the other race Friday, the women's 3,000, Greta Myers won in 4:06.799. As of now, the United States does not have a berth in Milan for that distance, but one of its athletes could end up in the field if another country relinquishes an opening.

“It's hard to wait,” said Myers, a 21-year-old from Lino Lakes, Minnesota. “But I'm very hopeful. I think it's at least a 50-50 chance that it'll happen.”

The U.S. Olympic roster for long track won't become official until the four-day trials at the Pettit National Ice Center wrap up on Monday. One element that could come into play is that the Americans are allowed to bring a maximum of eight men and six women to these Winter Games.

The biggest star of the team — and the sport — is scheduled to make his trials debut Saturday in the men's 1,000 meters: Jordan Stolz. The 21-year-old from Kewaskum, a town about 40 miles north of Milwaukee, is not just competing at home this week; he's racing at the same rink where he first began taking lessons as a kid.

He made his Olympic debut at age 17 in Beijing four years ago, finishing 13th in the 500 and 14th in the 1,000.

At both the 2023 and 2024 world championships, Stolz earned titles in each of the 500, 1,000 and 1,500 meters.

He's already pre-qualified for the Olympics based on performances at those three distances. All he really needs to do to lock down berths on the squad for the Feb. 6-22 Milan Cortina Games is show up at the starting line this week.

The 500 and 1,500 are slated for Sunday, and the mass start is Monday.

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Casey Dawson, of Park City, Utah, right, and Ethan Cepuran, of Glen Ellyn, lllinois, left, compete in the men's 5,000 meters at the U.S. Olympic trials for long track speed skating at the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Howard Fendrich)

The Pettit National Ice Center is seen in Milwaukee on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, the first day of the U.S. Olympic trials for long track speedskating. (AP Photo/Howard Fendrich)