'Sometimes it'll reward you': White Sox's Rodon and his tough baseball path to a no-hitter

Scratched from Monday's start against the Indians with an upset stomach, White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon was feeling fine Wednesday night.

Almost perfectly fine.

Best known for having trouble staying healthy after being selected by the Sox with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 draft, Rodon took the mound against Cleveland and pitched a no-hitter in the Sox's 8-0 win at Guaranteed Rate Field.

“I can't believe this is happening,” the 28-year-old pitcher said. “That's kind of what it was.”

The reaction should be expected.

He's always had an elite arm, but Rodon's once-promising career seemed to be over after he had shoulder surgery in 2017 and Tommy John surgery in '19.

Non-tendered by the White Sox after last season, Rodon turned down offers as a free agent and wound up coming back to the South Side on a one-year, $3 million contract.

“It means a lot,” he said. “The front office believing in me to sign me back. They knew I had something to prove. They knew I was hungry. I'm just happy that I can prove that I can still play this game and play at the level that I thought I was going to when they drafted me.”

Working on a perfect game with one out in the ninth inning, Rodon hit Roberto Perez in the foot.

In his second start of the young season, Rodon completely shut down the Indians with a brilliant blend of fastballs that zipped up to 99 mph in the final inning, sliders and changeups.

Rodon had 7 strikeouts over the 9 spotless innings, and he threw 114 pitches.

In the ninth inning, Rodon retired leadoff man Josh Naylor on a great defensive play from first baseman Jose Abreu.

Naylor hit a roller off the bag and there was no time for Rodon to get over. Knowing the perfect game was on the line, Abreu dove at first base and tagged the bag with his right foot a split second before the sliding Naylor arrived.

“I saw that slow chopper,” Rodon said. “(Heck) of a hustle from Naylor, obviously, and then a (heck) of a play, the sliding tag which freaked me out because I didn't want (Abreu) to blow out his knee. I was kind of concerned about that.

“But unbelievable play, a play that led to the no-hitter. Without that play we don't get there.”

Perez was up next, and he was hit in the front (left) foot by a Rodon slider on a 1-2 count. Could he have moved the foot out of the way?

“To be honest, I really didn't think he had a perfect game until I got hit,” Perez said. “I thought he had a no-hitter going on, but I really didn't think he had a perfect game. So, it's hard, man. I'm not going to try to stand there and get hit, you know?”

Rodon had some words for Perez as he ran down to first base, but he wasn't overly upset.

“I was just like 'Hey did that get you?' and he was like 'Yeah, it got me,' ” Rodon said. “That was the only exchange. It wasn't nothing mean at all, just curious. He stayed in there, he said, 'I'm going to let it hit me, you ain't getting a perfect game.' I would do the same thing if I was hitting. You've got to earn it.”

Rodon didn't get the perfect game, but he did become the 20th White Sox pitcher to throw a no-hitter after striking out Yu Chang and getting Jordan Luplow to ground out to third baseman Yoan Moncada to end it.

Lucas Giolito no-hit the Pirates last season.

“I've never caught a no-hitter before,” catcher Zack Collins said. “That was the most incredible thing that I've ever been a part of behind the plate. I remember watching it last year with Giolito. I was nervous on the bench last year, thinking about what (James) McCann was doing, and I felt it tonight.

“I was about as nervous as I've ever been back there. It was a lot of fun and Carlos had his stuff tonight.”

When it really sinks in, Rodon will be even more thrilled.

“It's going to be hard to top this one,” he said. “Baseball's pretty humbling. It'll eat you, spit you out. And sometimes it'll reward you.”