Chicago White Sox place Giolito on IL; recall Fulmer, Cordell from Class AAA Charlotte
As he walked off the field Wednesday with two outs in the third inning, the pain on Lucas Giolito's face indicated some serious discomfort.
The White Sox's starting pitcher was removed early with tightness in his left hamstring, but Giolito was listed as day to day.
"We'll re-evaluate him later on today and see where he's at," manager Rick Renteria said after the Sox lost to the Kansas City Royals 4-3 in 10 innings at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Before Thursday afternoon's game against the Tigers at Detroit, the White Sox placed Giolito on the 10-day injured list.
Carson Fulmer was recalled from Class AAA Charlotte to take Giolito's roster spot.
As expected, the White Sox also recalled outfielder Ryan Cordell from Charlotte. He replaces Daniel Palka, who was optioned to Triple-A on Wednesday after starting the season with 1 hit in 35 at-bats.
Fulmer made 13 starts for the Sox in 2017-18, but he is likely to pitch out of the bullpen.
The White Sox's first-round draft pick (No. 8 overall) in 2015, Fulmer was used right away Thursday. The right-hander pitched 1 inning at Detroit and took the loss after allowing 2 runs on 1 hit while hitting two batters.
Fulmer's first appearance with the Sox this season was on April 8, against Tampa Bay. He pitched well against the Rays, allowing 1 run on 3 hits and 2 walks to go with 3 strikeouts.
Fulmer was sent back to Charlotte after the game but exited with a positive outlook.
"I think I'm a big part of this whole rebuild," he said. "I've had a lot of experience at this level, for the most part, and I'm starting to learn a lot of stuff. It's all a learning experience.
"The more innings I have under my belt, the more comfortable I'm going to continue to be. I'm definitely looking forward to getting back up here."
In 3 relief appearances with Charlotte this season, Fulmer allowed 1 earned run in 7 innings and had 11 strikeouts.
The Sox are going to need a starter to take Giolito's spot Monday at Baltimore. It figures to be Manny Banuelos.
Acquired in a Nov. 1 trade from the Los Angeles Dodgers for minor-league infielder Justin Yurchak, Banuelos has made 4 relief appearances this season and is 1-0 with a 3.48 ERA.
The left-hander threw 3 scoreless innings against the Royals on Monday, throwing 43 pitches. In 2015, Banuelos made 6 starts for the Atlanta Braves.
Cordell opened the season on the White Sox's 25-man roster. The 27-year-old outfielder was 2-for-6 with 1 home run and 3 RBI before being optioned to Charlotte on April 7.
In seven games with the Knights, Cordell batted .323 with 1 homer and 6 RBI. He hit for the cycle on April 10.
Palka will try to get himself back on track with the Sox's top farm club. Last year, the left-handed power hitter tied for first among American League rookies with 27 home runs and ranked third with 67 RBI.
"It didn't work out this time, and it's going to work out next time," Palka said. "It's not necessarily changing the approach. I've been seeing good pitches and putting good swings on pitches. It's just something is a tad bit off. I don't feel like it's major."