Despite impressive numbers, Sox starter Dylan Cease gets all-star snub

In his last start, against the Tigers Thursday night at Guaranteed Rate Field, Dylan Cease pitched 6 innings and allowed 1 run on 3 hits while racking up 8 strikeouts.

The White Sox's right-hander is 7-4, he ranks second in the American League with 133 strikeouts and he has the fourth-best ERA at 2.45.

After that impressive outing, Cease was asked about the possibility of being on the American League roster for the July 19 All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium.

"It's not my biggest focus," he said. "Definitely every once in a while, it will cross it. But I'm much more worried about our day to day process and what's happening here."

Cease, who starts Game 2 of Tuesday's doubleheader at Cleveland, is also scheduled to pitch Sunday at Minnesota, the final game before the all-star break.

Being unavailable to pitch in the All-Star Game might have factored into his All-Star snub.

Former teammate Carlos Rodon, who was also bypassed despite going 8-5 with a 2.70 ERA and striking out 124 in 100 innings in his first season with San Francisco, went to bat for Cease.

"He put together a first half better than a lot of guys on that list," Rodon told reporters covering the Giants.

Double take:

The White Sox and Guardians play a split doubleheader Tuesday, and Davis Martin is scheduled to come up from Class AAA Charlotte and start Game 1.

In 5 games (2 starts) with the Sox this season, Martin is 1-2 with a 4.29 ERA. He'll face Cleveland ace Shane Bieber.

In Game 2, Konnor Pilkington starts for Cleveland against Dylan Cease.

Pilkington, who is 1-1 with a 4.08 ERA, was the White Sox's third-round draft choice in 2018 out of Mississippi State.

Last July, the Sox traded the left-hander to the Guardians for second baseman Cesar Hernandez.