Rodon ready to return to mound for White Sox
In one sense, it was fitting that Carlos Rodon made his last 3 starts with Class AAA Charlotte.
The Chicago White Sox are rebuilding and have been stockpiling prospects for the past year.
Many are playing at Charlotte, where Rodon was rehabbing from left biceps bursitis. The 24-year-old lefty comes off the disabled list Wednesday and makes his first start of the season for the Sox.
"That was fun to watch," Rodon said of his two-week stay with the Triple-A Knights. "I can't say they're young because they're the same age I am. It was fun to watch. (Yoan) Moncada is unbelievable, a good athlete, and there are some incredible arms down there, so I got to watch those guys a few times, too."
As the White Sox look to the future, a healthy Rodon is expected to be at the top end of a rotation that potentially includes a mix of Lucas Giolito, Michael Kopech, Reynaldo Lopez, Alec Hansen, Carson Fulmer, Dane Dunning and Spencer Adams.
As for the present, Rodon's return can only help a Sox rotation that ranks last in the American League with 27 quality starts.
Rodon was 0-4 with a 10.06 ERA in 4 rehab starts, the first with high Class A Winston-Salem. Coming out healthy with escalating pitch counts was the primary goal, and that was accomplished.
"A lot of these guys, once they get back up to where they should be I think they feel a little bit more comfortable," manager Rick Renteria said. "The adrenaline is going to be a little high. Hopefully, it works to his advantage. We're glad he's healthy, we're glad he's back. We're hoping he could kind of calm the waters a little bit in the rotation once he gets to his spot."
Saladino update:
On the disabled list for a month with back discomfort, Sox infielder Tyler Saladino took batting practice on Monday and groundballs on Tuesday. He hopes to go on a minor-league rehabilitation assignment next week.
"I would like to go out right now," Saladino said. "Obviously, it's only been whatever, since Friday, that I was cleared so it's obviously quick. You aren't going to go out and start playing. You have to go through the process. I feel good. I feel like I could go out and play right now."
In 30 games with the White Sox this season, Saladino has a .200/.302/.273 hitting line with 4 RBI.
Day of rest:
Having played 44 of their first 76 games on the road and in the midst of 10 straight games at home, the White Sox got a breather Tuesday.
Manager Rick Renteria called off batting practice and allowed his players to report to Guaranteed Rate Field an hour later than usual.
"I haven't done it very often, but I thought this was a unique moment in time for us," Renteria said. "We've been on the road a lot, packing, unpacking every three or four days. As I talked to the players, I mentioned I wanted them to sleep in, get some rest. Take advantage of this particular day.
"I don't know if I'll do it very often but it certainly seemed warranted to me. Hopefully they'll feel better about it and we'll continue to move forward."