Why White Sox starting pitcher Rodon is looking forward to season
GLENDALE, Ariz. - If any major-league starter had a valid excuse for running out of gas at the end of last season, it's Carlos Rodon.
Limited to 12 starts in 2017 before having shoulder surgery, Rodon didn't return to the White Sox's rotation last year until June 9.
The 26-year-old lefty was understandably rusty in his first month back, but he eventually settled in and posted a 1.88 ERA in July and a 1.80 ERA in August.
The bottom fell out in September, when Rodon went 0-5 with a 9.22 ERA, but he wasn't making any excuses Friday at Camelback Ranch.
"I'm never going to blame it on being tired or any of that stuff," Rodon said. "It was, for lack of a better term, two horse (bleep) starts," Rodon said. "That's pretty much it. I felt pretty strong. I just got my (butt) whooped."
The two starts Rodon mentioned were his final ones of the season. On Sept. 23, he allowed 6 runs in 2⅓ innings against the Cubs. On Sept. 29, it was 8 runs in just 1 inning against the Twins.
Sox manager Rick Renteria was much more forgiving of the discouraging finish than Rodon.
"He's being accountable and responsible to everything," Renteria said. "To his credit, we do look at coming back after being off, pushing. We'll say there might have been a little fatigue factor to it at the end. Even if you are fatigued, I know in his mind he's thinking he can find ways of still getting it done."
Rodon, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 draft, was 6-8 with a 4.18 ERA in 20 total starts last year.
This is his first training camp in three years where health is not an issue, and Rodon is liking how it feels.
"It felt like a normal year but it actually didn't really feel like a normal year, because a normal year for me was going through an injury," Rodon said. "It was great. I had a good offseason. Got to be healthy and finally show up here healthy and have a healthy spring. So I'm excited."
Leave it to White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper to explain Rodon's difficult road back.
"They stuck a knife in him," Cooper said. "They stuck a metal object in his shoulder, for crying out loud, when they did surgery. We were just hoping that went well, the rehab went well, and hopefully he would be back with us. Well, he was back with us. That all went perfectly."
Cooper said better command would make Rodon a near perfect starter. Last year, he walked 55 in 120⅔ innings.
"The biggest thing for Carlos, if you look at the batting average against with righties and lefties, they're not too good," Cooper said. "When he throws the ball over and makes them hit it, they haven't done much. When he gets ahead in the count, 0-2, 1-2, watch out because he's got a high-riding fastball he can use and he's got the slider from (heck). It's a (heck) of a slider. It's really a matter of throwing strikes early in the count to eliminate walks."