White Sox place Rodón (shoulder) on IL

August 4th, 2020

 was placed on the 10-day injured list with left shoulder soreness prior to Tuesday’s game against the Brewers. Rodón threw two scoreless innings in Monday’s victory before departing after a noticeable velocity dip in the second.

“Initially, he looked like he was a little disappointed, like anyone would be that wants to go out and compete,” said White Sox manager Rick Renteria of his southpaw starter. “He wasn't overly concerned. But again, we're erring on the side of caution more than anything, and I'm sure once he gets through the next few days to see where he's at, I'll have a better idea of what's going on with him.

"He's like anyone -- I think he's obviously disappointed and probably very ready to get back as soon as he possibly can.”

Rodón had Tommy John surgery last May, but he worked his way into the Opening Day rotation at the start of the 2020 season because of the delay caused by the coronavirus pandemic. He allowed six runs over 5 2/3 innings in the first two starts of his sixth season with the White Sox.

“Hopefully this isn't going to be a very long, protracted stay on the IL,” Renteria said. “Yeah, we are optimistic actually. With the conversations that I've had, we should be optimistic.”

Filling the rotation
Renteria wanted to see how the team worked its way through the next four games before naming a starter for Saturday afternoon’s contest against Cleveland. It could be a bullpen day if the relief crew is not overworked, but it could also be Ross Detwiler, who has made 95 starts at the big league level.

Detwiler, though, has been phenomenal working out of the bullpen, allowing two hits and striking out seven in 8 1/3 scoreless innings. Renteria seemed inclined to keep him in that role, at least as of Tuesday.

“We want to make sure that we continue to give the opportunities that lead him to have the success he's been having,” Renteria said of Detwiler. “Again, we'll look at all our options, I'm sure. He's been doing such a good job in the role that he's had that I'd feel kind of bad to try to take him out of that.”

Dane Dunning, who underwent Tommy John surgery in March 2019, also is a possibility. The White Sox No. 6 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, is currently working at the team’s alternate training site in Schaumburg, Ill.

A man named Brady
Right-handed pitcher Brady Lail, a 26-year-old non-roster invitee to Spring Training, had his contract purchased from Schaumburg and he was added to the White Sox bullpen. Lail became the eighth rookie on the White Sox roster -- and fourth among the relievers.

Lail was playing video games in his Schaumburg hotel room when he received the good news from Chris Getz, Chicago's director of player development.

“Totally caught me off guard, because I was getting ready for a sim game down there the next day,” Lail said. “So it just surprised me with the phone call and had to start packing it up and getting ready to go. Caught me off guard a little bit, but I was ready to roll.”

Third to first
• Outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe, the team’s No. 9 prospect per MLB Pipeline, was designated for assignment to make room for Lail on the 40-man roster.

“We all like him,” Renteria said. “Everybody saw the skillset that he had. We're going through with that designation and we'll see where that lands.”

• Evan Marshall had retired 14 straight hitters entering Tuesday’s contest.

• Reynaldo López, on the injured list with right shoulder soreness after making just one start, is beginning a throwing program on Wednesday, but Renteria could not provide a timetable for his return.

They said it
“He took a fly ball from me the other day, and I told him, ‘Next time, I will punch you.’ But he's a great guy. It's a lot of fun watching Robert play the outfield. It's unbelievable, this guy.” -- Leury García, on playing outfield with Luis Robert

“Just people in general, in Nebraska, we were excited for that game, to get some more baseball in the Midwest. And I'm sad that it's going to be gone." -- Aaron Bummer, who is from Omaha, Neb., on the MLB at Field of Dreams presented by GEICO event, which was set to be held in Iowa, being postponed