KANSAS CITY, Mo. (670 The Score) -- Eloy Jimenez couldn't imagine what he would've otherwise been doing Thursday, which brought Opening Day across MLB, but none of that matters now.
There he was with his team at Kauffman Stadium, the White Sox's top prospect waiting for his moment.
"It's a dream come true today," Jimenez said several hours before scheduled first pitch between the White Sox and Royals.
The White Sox optioned the 22-year-old Jimenez to Triple-A on March 13, at the time halting his hopes of making his big league debut on Opening Day. But that all changed when he officially signed a six-year, $43-million deal with two club options last week, rendering his service time considerations meaningless.
Jimenez was officially recalled to the White Sox this week and was slotted to hit fifth and play left field Thursday.
"The White Sox did what was right by putting him on the roster," shortstop Tim Anderson said. "He deserves to be here. I think he did everything he's supposed to do. I know he's excited. I'm happy for him."
General manager Rick Hahn echoed a similar refrain.
"The guys know we are very focused on trying to put ourselves in the best long-term position," Hahn said. "Getting Eloy locked up is a big part of that."
Jimenez was joined in Kansas City by his parents, his brother, two uncles and his agent -- all part of a day he had long envisioned coming to fruition. The White Sox were plenty excited too.
The White Sox acquired Jimenez from the Cubs in July 2017 as the key return in exchange for left-hander Jose Quintana. Jimenez opened the 2019 campaign as the third-ranked prospect by Baseball America and MLB Pipeline after posting a slash line of .311/.359/.519 with 65 home runs and 281 RBIs in 408 minor league games.
The White Sox won't hold Jimenez back during his rookie season, manager Rick Renteria said. Though they do have a capable defensive replacement available in outfielder Ryan Cordell, the plan will be for Jimenez to handle a big league workload and grow during his rookie season.
"Early on, hopefully we'll be able to see what he's bringing to the table," Renteria said. "That being said, we'll also know that everybody in the game of baseball sees this kid as a very talented young man and everybody on the hill is going to do whatever they want to do to try to minimize whatever damage he can cause. He's going to have to make in-game and game-to-game adjustments. We'll be able to measure and see how he's doing.
"He's a very mature young man. I think he's going to handle it very, very well. We already know the skill set he brings to the table is pretty exciting in the box. We're looking to continue to see him improve on the defensive end of it, the whole aspect of playing the game, see where he's at."
Only weather could dampen the hopes of Jimenez ahead of his first MLB series. Rain is in the Kansas City forecast through Saturday and will almost certainly bring delays, if not postponements.
Jimenez has waited for his big league moment. Finally, it has arrived.
"I've dreamed about this day a million times," Jimenez said. "I think it's going to be special."
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
