Lopez looks good for Chicago White Sox in return
When he last pitched for the Chicago White Sox, Reynaldo Lopez wasn't feeling right, and the results showed.
Taking the mound at Texas on Aug. 17, Lopez gave up 6 runs on 5 hits and 4 walks in 4⅓ innings. When manager Rick Renteria came out to the mound with trainer Herm Schneider to check on the young right-hander, Lopez said he was physically fine.
He quickly changed his mind, exited the game and wound up on the disabled list with a back strain.
Lopez came off the DL on Friday and started for the Sox in a 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Stung by all-star Logan Morrison's 2-run homer in the first inning, Lopez settled down and pitched very well in his return.
“Sometimes you make mistakes and you have to understand that it's a mistake; you have to accept it,” Lopez said through a translator. “At the same time, you have to keep moving forward because that pitch is already made, there's nothing you can do. That's what I tried to do, just kept my focus on the game and tried to get the next batter out.
“I felt good today. I did what I usually do, and I did it since the beginning, and I think I had a good game. I felt very good.”
Lopez allowed 3 runs on 5 hits and 1 walk in 6 innings. Riding a fastball that topped out at 97 mph and an effective changeup, he also had 7 strikeouts and retired the final 11 Rays hitters he faced.
“I felt strong,” Lopez said after throwing 85 pitches. “I felt like I could be efficient. But I also have to understand I'm just coming off a DL stint and they want to protect me. You as a player have to understand that, and I was OK.”
Roster additions:
With rosters eligible to expand in September, the White Sox on Friday recalled right-handed pitcher Carson Fulmer from Class AAA Charlotte and purchased the contract of left-hander David Holmberg from Charlotte.
Fulmer, the Sox's first-round pick (No. 8 overall) in 2015, has struggled this season, going 7-9 with a 5.79 ERA in 22 starts with the Knights. He also started Game 2 of a doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins on Aug. 21 and gave up 6 runs on 4 hits and 3 walks in 1⅓ innings.
“I had a really good start,” Fulmer said. “I kind of had a couple of rough patches in the middle of the year.
“I think I've been pitching pretty well. I had a couple of unfortunate things happen in my outings, but as a pitcher you can't complain about those things. I feel like I've been executing the way I've been wanting to. I'm ready to have success here and capture the opportunity.”
Fulmer could get more starts with the Sox over the final month of the season, but his future looks to be in the bullpen.
“We thought it was important to get Carson back here to get him working with Coop and Has (pitching coach Don Cooper and bullpen coach Curt Hasler),” general manager Rick Hahn said.
“We may use him in a variety of different ways. It's possible he gets a start or two along the stretch, or it's possible we use him exclusively out of the pen. We still need to go through the specific plan going into next week for each of the guys coming up.”
Done deal:
The White Sox just beat the deadline Thursday night, sending veteran starting pitcher Miguel Gonzalez to Texas in a waiver trade for minor-league infielder Ti'Quan Forbes.
Gonzalez was 7-10 with a 4.31 ERA in 22 starts for the Sox, and the right-hander was 3-2 with a 3.11 ERA over his final nine outings.
“I kind of expected the market to be a little more robust for the quality starter that he is and the quality person that he is and the durability that he has shown,” GM Rick Hahn said. “With that said, you have to look at each contender's situation.
“If it's possible that you are already confident you will be in the postseason, you don't necessarily project him to be one of the three guys you are probably going to go with, so it's less of a need.”