Gonzalez returns to White Sox, ready to help in any role

Gio Gonzalez is back with the White Sox, and that should be good news for a team that needs help in the starting rotation.

Unfortunately for the Sox, the 34-year-old lefty is only built up enough to throw 2 innings at the moment, with only 18 games remaining in the shortened regular season.

If Gonzalez is only able to pitch out of the bullpen, so be it.

"I've gotten to a point where now, the final stretch, you want to be part of this," said Gonzalez, who was on the injured list with a right groin strain. "You want to do whatever you can to be a part of this. The guys have made it very entertaining to play this year.

"I want to be a part of that as much as I can and whatever role I've got to do, I just want to pitch and get some outs."

Lucas Giolito is in great shape all the way around at the top of the White Sox's rotation. Behind him, Dylan Cease and Dane Dunning are also healthy as they gain needed experience.

No. 2 starter Dallas Keuchel is scheduled to start Saturday against the Tigers at Guaranteed Rate Field, but the veteran is dealing with lower back stiffness that ended his Sunday outing at Kansas City after 5 innings.

According to manager Rick Renteria, Keuchel was scheduled to do "his normal routine" before Tuesday night's game at Pittsburgh, but his status for the next start is up in the air.

Carlos Rodon was the leading candidate to replace the ineffective Reynaldo Lopez as the Sox's No. 5 starter, but the injury-prone lefty is currently dealing with a back issue and is not throwing.

Gonzalez last pitched on Aug. 22, when he got the win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field after throwing 3⅔ innings of scoreless relief. He injured himself warming up in the bullpen on Aug. 28.

"I feel fine, my arm feels great," Gonzalez said. "It wasn't an arm issue, it was a leg issue. Luckily, it wasn't a major injury. We got a lot of work done in Schaumburg and got everything right. My arm feels fine. It's just, let's see how my leg holds up."

Burdi demoted:

After pitching very well in his first four appearances out of the White Sox's bullpen, Zack Burdi gave up 8 earned runs over 3⅓ innings over his next four.

On Tuesday, Burdi was optioned to Schaumburg, clearing a roster spot for Gio Gonzalez.

Rating Renteria:

In his first three seasons in the Sox's dugout, Rick Renteria posted a 201-284 record while managing teams during a rebuild.

Now that he is guiding a competitive team, the expectations are higher. Is Renteria happy with the job he's doing this season?

"I won't answer that," he said. "I'll leave that all up to you guys, what you think you see or don't see. I think my concern on a daily basis is to manage what I know I have to manage in terms of the ability of everybody that is here and how we proceed."