Covey much sharper for Chicago White Sox vs. Blue Jays
Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Ivan Nova have been on a nice little roll at the top of the Chicago White Sox's rotation, but there have been steady bumps out of the bottom two slots.
Manny Banuelos hasn't pitched well since replacing Ervin Santana, and the left-hander might be headed to the injured list with a sore shoulder.
Dylan Covey moved into the rotation when Carlos Rodon went down for the season with an elbow injury, and the right-hander gave up 6 earned runs on 8 hits and 8 walks over 9⅓ innings in his first 2 starts.
Covey has major-league stuff, but he has been plagued by too much movement in the past.
In the Sox's 4-2 victory over the Blue Jays at Guaranteed Rate Field on Thursday night, Covey tightened it up and allowed 1 earned run on 2 hits and 2 walks over 5⅔ innings.
"Today, it was just attack the zone and not let walks beat me," Covey said. "I felt better. Definitely getting back in the swing of it. I wouldn't say everything went right, but I was attacking the zone better and there was good defensive positioning."
Ryan Cordell snapped a 2-2 tie with one out in the eighth inning on a perfect suicide squeeze bunt that scored Yolmer Sanchez from third base.
"We needed the run," Renteria said. "You've got to give Cordell a ton of credit because he's the one in the box. It's not anything I did. He's the one that executed the play. The play itself, you have to get the run."
Banuelos update:
After leaving Tuesday's start in the fifth inning with a strained throwing (left) shoulder, Manny Banuelos might be able to take his next turn, Monday at Houston.
"Manny is continuing to improve," manager Rick Renteria said. "They actually did an MRI, it was clean, so there's nothing for us to worry about right now from that perspective. We'll see how he feels tomorrow and we'll continue to move forward until we know otherwise."
Day of rest:
After playing the White Sox's first 40 games, third baseman Yoan Moncada got Tuesday's game against the Indians off, followed by Wednesday's break in the schedule.
On Thursday, shortstop Tim Anderson was held out of the starting lineup.
"Those two have been on base a lot, they've been doing a lot," manager Rick Renteria of Moncada and Anderson. "They work extremely hard in their preparation. To be honest, I had to kind of convince them a little bit. Now we have a nice little run of games where we're not going to have any break. I think that will help us."
Eloy watch:
Out since April 28 with a high right-ankle sprain, rookie Eloy Jimenez played his third rehab game with Class AAA Charlotte on Thursday night.
Jimenez was 2-for-5 with a throwing error.
In three games with Charlotte, the last two playing left field, Jimenez is 4-for-11.
If the ankle holds up, Jimenez figures to come off the IL on Monday at the latest. He could be back with the Sox this weekend and play at home against Toronto.