Rodon throwing off mound but return to White Sox still uncertain

Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn had an update on injured starting pitcher Carlos Rodon on Tuesday, and he also blew off some steam on the ongoing matter.

"We have a tentative schedule in our mind about how things would progress here and I'll tell you right now (Rodon) remains in Arizona and needs to show progress and we're encouraged," Hahn said.

Rodon is on the 60-day disabled list with left biceps bursitis, and his return is still up in the air. Hahn did say Rodon is throwing off a mound, so that's a positive step.

But since the first day of spring training, Rodon has not appeared to be quite right.

While other Sox pitchers threw off the mound and went through routine fielding drills in camp, Rodon was held back.

When asked if he was healthy, the 24-year-old lefty answered 100 percent in the affirmative, and Rodon did eventually get up on the mound and he did make one Cactus League start, against the Angels on March 19.

Not long after the outing, Rodon went down with biceps bursitis and declined to discuss his health when he was in town on the White Sox's last homestand.

"I do understand it," Hahn said of the outside interest in Rodon, who was slotted as the No. 2 starter this season. "I also think this organization has a, knock on wood, fairly good track record in both keeping players healthy as well as being as candid as possible with where players are from a physical standpoint. I do, for whatever reason, sense that from early in spring there seemed to be a little bit of doubt about how we were handling Carlos, as if we were hiding something. And the more information we shared, the more skepticism would seem to arise because unfortunately sometimes these guys don't progress, literally, on a linear basis.

"When we say he's going to be back in two weeks, unfortunately sometimes they're not back in two weeks. You're dealing with medical issues and physical issues and guys heal at different paces."

At the start of the season, the White Sox were ideally hoping to have Rodon back in late May or early June. They still expect him to return at some point this season.

"All I can tell you is there's certainly nothing in our organization's interest to create unrealistic expectations about a player's health or when they might return, and as a result we've always shared more information than perhaps other clubs have," Hahn said. "At this point on Carlos, I'm only comfortable telling you he continues to progress in his throwing program. I've answered the question that he's off the mound but until we get him out on a rehab assignment it's difficult for me to project a return date for him. We do anticipate him returning here and hopefully he can progress in a linear fashion from where he is right now."