Chicago White Sox's Covey doesn't figure to miss a start
In Saturday's start against the Oakland Athletics, Dylan Covey came out for the fifth inning and walked leadoff hitter Matt Joyce.
Chicago White Sox trainer Herm Schneider and manager Rick Renteria came out to the mound after Covey fell behind in the count to Oakland's next hitter, Jonathan Lucroy. In a flash, Covey was out of the game and his next start was in serious doubt after the right-hander was diagnosed with a sore right hip.
Before Tuesday night's game against the Minnesota Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field, Covey threw his regular between-starts bullpen session and was pleased with the results.
"Everything felt great," Covey said. "Unless something weird happens, I'll be good to go. That's the plan."
Covey's next scheduled start is Friday at Texas.
"He feels he's 100 percent," Renteria said. "Coop (pitching coach Don Cooper) saw his side today; he says there's no problem. He didn't feel it. So right now we're going as normal."
In 8 starts with the Sox this season, Covey is 3-2 with a 3.45 ERA.
Last year, his first with the White Sox after being acquired in the Rule 5 draft from Oakland, Covey missed nearly three months with an oblique injury. He feels much better about his health situation this time around.
"Relieved," Covey said. "I spent a lot of time on the DL last year, so I wanted to avoid it at all cost."
Minor matters:
Pitching prospect Dane Dunning had to make an early exit from Saturday's start for Class AA Birmingham with apparent elbow soreness.
Manager Rick Renteria said Dunning left the game with two outs in the fourth inning due to a "moderate strain."
The Sox should have more information Wednesday after Dunning has an MRI on the elbow.
No. 1 pitching prospect Michael Kopech had an impressive start with Class AAA Charlotte on Monday night, allowing 2 hits over 6 scoreless innings to go with 9 strikeouts.
In his 2 previous starts, Kopech allowed 7 earned runs on 6 hits and 12 walks in 8 innings. Farm director Chris Getz was not overly concerned.
"Listen, he's going to find his way to the big leagues," Getz said. "He's going to be an impact frontline-type starter. I'm very confident in that.
"Just like a lot of great players, sometimes it's a meandering path. And to say that he's gone off track is not fair, because it's only been a couple of outings. I think he's in a really good spot."
He's back?
After missing most of last season with a sore shoulder that required arthroscopic surgery in late September, Carlos Rodon has been getting better and better in the White Sox's rotation.
In Sunday's start against the A's, Rodon looked like his old self while matching his career high with 8 innings. The left-hander allowed 2 runs on 7 hits and had 3 strikeouts.
Equally important, Rodon didn't walk a batter.
"The day before his outing, he had talked about what he was going to do on the mound," manager Rick Renteria said. "He actually did everything he said he was going to do, which was attack the strike zone. He was commanding with a lot of calm."