White Sox's Giolito 'right on track' after throwing off mound for first time

GLENDALE, Ariz. - Lucas Giolito was playing catch-up on Saturday.

Arriving at training camp with a strained chest muscle, Giolito threw off the mound for the first time. Rain forced the White Sox's top starting pitcher to get his work done inside, but the end result was the same.

"Right on track," Giolito said. "Right where I want to be."

Even though he's a week or so behind a normal schedule, there is plenty of time left in spring training for the 6-foot-6 right-hander to get his Cactus League innings in and be ready to start the season opener, a March 26 game against the Royals at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Giolito was unable to make SoxFest in late January due to the flu. When he felt better and starting throwing, Giolito noticed the muscle strain.

He's felt fine since reporting to spring training, but the White Sox have taken a cautious approach.

"We are going day-by-day, step-by-step," Giolito said. "All I can say for today is I felt 100 percent. I was happy with my command of my heater. Off-speed pitches felt good coming out. Couldn't ask for more.

"I haven't felt it since I shut down throwing when I got the flu and originally got that injury. When I came back, and got back on the throwing program, I haven't felt a single thing since. It's pretty much in the past now."

What's on second?

With a new contract in hand, Leury Garcia is looking like the Sox's starting second baseman when the season opens next month.

At some point, Nick Madrigal is going to play the position. He's already making a good impression.

"We're looking at this young man as being able to do a lot of different things," manager Rick Renteria said. " He's much calmer, this is his second year now in camp. He already had a tremendous demeanor, he's focused, he's high energy. Defensively, he's been very good and all the drills he's been doing have been pretty flawless, to be honest. He's just kind of fit in and he's getting more and more comfortable."

The No. 4 overall pick in the 2018 draft, Madrigal played his first full professional season last year and batted a combined .311/.377/.414 in 120 games for high Class A Winston-Salem, AA Birmingham and AAA Charlotte.

Not only did he win the Rawlings Gold Glove for minor-league second basemen, Madrigal struck out only 16 times in 532 plate appearances.