Who's hot, who's not as White Sox prep for 10-game homestand
The White Sox are back home after stumbling through a road trip that made stops at Detroit and Baltimore.
Considering they were a combined 111-213 last season, the Sox's 2-4 record against the Tigers and Orioles has hardly instilled any early confidence.
On the other hand, the White Sox were 62-100 themselves in 2018, and they are off to an uninspiring 9-14 start this season.
As they prepare for their longest homestand of the season - the 10-game stretch opens Friday night against Detroit - let's get caught up on the good and bad.
Who's hot:
Tim Anderson
He's still getting attention for flipping his bat at his own dugout after hitting a 2-run homer against Kansas City last Wednesday, but the 25-year-old should be getting notice for a great start on two fronts.
Anderson was 6-for-22 on the road trip, which dropped his batting average to .383. He still ranked second in the American League behind the Astros' Josh Reddick (. 386) through Wednesday's play.
Anderson was leading the majors leagues with 9 stolen bases and he's yet to be thrown out.
Carlos Rodon
He's been the lone reliable starter so far, and Rodon has won his last two starts while allowing 3 earned runs in 12 innings.
As he gets more comfortable, look for the left-hander to pitch deeper into games.
James McCann
Yes, he was batting cleanup for the Sox in Wednesday night's loss at Baltimore, for pretty good reason.
The catcher is 15-for-40 (. 375) with 2 homers and 5 RBI over his 10 games and has also earned praise for his handling of the pitching staff.
Yoan Moncada
In the early stages of his second full season in the majors, Moncada has cut down on the strikeouts and done consistent damage.
The third baseman is batting .309, leads the White Sox with 6 home runs and ranks second with 18 RBI.
Manny Banuelos
In his last three outings, including a Monday start against the Orioles, the 28-year-old lefty has allowed just 1 earned run in 10⅓ innings.
Who's not:
Ivan Nova
The veteran right-hander made two starts on the road trip and lost them both, giving up 15 earned runs on 22 hits in 10⅓ innings.
In Tuesday's outing at Baltimore, Nova allowed 4 home runs in 4 innings.
Yonder Alonso
After going 4-for-4 vs. Kansas City last Tuesday, Alonso has gone 3-for-28 and seen his batting average dip to .179.
Ervin Santana
Expected to be rusty after missing most of 2018 with a finger injury, Santana has been much worse than expected.
In 3 starts for the Sox, the 36-year-old righty is 0-2 with a 9.45 ERA.
Adam Engel
On the offensive side, it's still not happening for the defensive-minded center fielder.
If Jon Jay ever gets healthy and is added the White Sox's roster, Engel (. 143) is the likely odd-man out.