MINNEAPOLIS — Carlos Rodon was scheduled to start the Field of Dreams game in Iowa on Thursday night. Instead, the White Sox’ All-Star left-hander is going on the 10-day injured list with shoulder fatigue, the team announced before its 1-0 loss to the Twins Wednesday afternoon at Target Field.
Lance Lynn, scheduled to start Wednesday, was pushed back to start Thursday night in Iowa. Right-hander Reynaldo Lopez started Wednesday, pitched three scoreless innings and figures to get at least one more start in Rodon’s place.
“Yesterday Carlos came in with some arm soreness,” manager Tony La Russa said. “We’re hoping it’s a short break.”
But it doesn’t figure to be. While Rodon, who has a history of arm problems, is on the IL retroactive to Aug. 8, returning on Aug. 18 “would seem to be overly optimistic,” La Russa said.
“That would be the most optimistic but always treat players, pitchers with arm issues, with caution,” La Russa said.
With a 10-game lead in the AL Central, the Sox are gearing to a postseason that looks better with Rodon in it rather than not. Fingers are crossed that the injury-prone Rodon will return to the healthy state that has helped him post a 9-5 record, 2.38 ERA and pitch no-hitter against the Indians in April for a starting rotation that leads the American League in ERA (3.38), strikeouts (705) and several other categories.
This has easily been Rodon’s best season. There was concern, though, when his velocity was down in starts on July 24 and July 29 against the Brewers and Royals, each start lasting just four innings. Following an eight-day rest, Rodon touched 99 mph and threw five innings of scoreless, two-hit ball against the Cubs on Saturday and seemed to be back on track. La Russa said Rodon wanted to pitch deeper into the game.
He returned to Chicago to have the shoulder examined.
Last season, Rodon was limited to four games and two starts due to shoulder soreness but the Sox brought him back on a one-year contract, even though staying healthy had been a battle for the former No. 3 overall pick. After having arthroscopic shoulder surgery in late 2017, he returned to make 20 starts in 2018. In 2019 he made seven starts before undergoing Tommy John surgery in May.
This season, he has pitched like a Cy Young Award and is a big reason why Sox World Series hopes are so high.
“He wasn’t happy about it,” Lynn said. “The season he’s having you wanted to keep going. I don’t think it will be anything crazy but you never know. He seems to think a little rest will help and he’ll be ready to go here in the new future.”
Lopez is ‘the best candidate’ to replace Rodon in the rotation, La Russa said, and that was before Lopez looked sharp with four strikeouts Wednesday. The team’s best starter in 2018 who has since struggled, Lopez owns a 1.37 ERA in 10 appearances since getting recalled from Triple-A Charlotte July 16.
“I feel sad for glad but I welcome the opportunity to step up and do my part to help the team,” Lopez said. “I have confidence in all my pitches.”
As for Michael Kopech, who is viewed as a future starter, ‘we’re into August and extending him to where he would be a starter takes him out of that [relief] role we really need him in, especially when you expect Carlos to be back. It’s not realistic.”
Taking Rodon’s spot on the roster was right-handed reliever Matt Foster, who was recalled from Charlotte and pitched a perfect seventh. Foster was 0-1 with a 1.17 ERA over seven appearances with Charlotte.
Bailey Ober and three relievers including closer Alex Colome held a Sox lineup without resting Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert to six hits, and Jorge Polanco homered against Jose Ruiz in the sixth, Twins took two of three games from the Sox in the series.
