Chicago White Sox option ineffective Lopez to Schaumburg

After Reynaldo Lopez was pulled early from his latest shaky start Wednesday night at Minnesota, manager Rick Renteria was asked if the right-hander was out of the White Sox's rotation.

“It's a justified, it's a great question,” Renteria said. “It's one of those things ... we've got four days before, five days before that slot comes back up. We'll try to figure out where we're at, talk about it, see what adjustments we can make and move from there.”

The Sox wasted little time making an adjustment.

Before opening a four-game series at Kansas City Thursday night, they optioned Lopez to Schaumburg and recalled left-handed pitcher Bernardo Flores Jr. from their training facility at Boomers Stadium.

In 4 starts for the White Sox this season, Lopez was 0-2 with an 8.38 ERA. He was lifted with two outs in the second inning against the Twins after giving up a 2-run double to Josh Donaldson.

Jake Cave also hit a solo home run off Lopez in the second.

Lopez missed a month with a sore throwing shoulder at the beginning of the short season and has not been effective.

“I feel pretty strong mentally,” Lopez said through a translator after Wednesday's start. “It's just a matter of getting into my rhythm again. I spent a month away and it's not easy. With all the things that have been happening this year, I'm still trying to figure it out.”

With two days off next week, the Sox can get by with four starting pitchers for an extended stretch.

They could activate Carlos Rodon (shoulder) off the injured list or give Flores a shot.

Flores, 24, was 27-26 with a 3.18 ERA in 82 games (79 starts) over four seasons in the White Sox's minor-league system.