Left-hander Carlos Rodon said his shoulder and body “feel great” and after throwing at 90 feet Monday was optimistic about making a start in Toronto when the White Sox play the Blue Jays next week.
Rodon landed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday (retroactive to Aug. 8) with shoulder fatigue. Rodon’s history of injuries warranted unique levels of concern but this issue is more about in-season soreness and not injury.
“I guess the good thing from being hurt and having serious injuries is you know what hurt is and you can tell the difference,” he said. “Today I felt really good.”
Rodon said his MRI last week “came back great.”
“I’m telling you I’m looking forward to making that next start,” he said.
Rodon had been healthy and consistently excellent since the beginning of spring training and is off to the best start of his career with a 9-5 record and 2.38 ERA. He pitched a no-hitter against the Indians in April and made the American League All-Star team.
“After that Cubs start [in which he struck out 11 in five innings Aug. 8 at Wrigley Field], I didn’t recover quite as well as I would have liked,” he said. “Would rather be at 100 percent or close to 100 percent competing out there for my team. It was one of those decisions.
“Today I felt great. Tomorrow is going to be another great day. It’s just progressing and taking the steps and getting ready for, if it’s Toronto, then Toronto.”
Engel to IL, bullpen gets reinforcements
Outfielder Adam Engel landed on the injured list with left shoulder inflammation, right-hander Matt Foster was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte and righties Ryan Burr and Mike Wright were recalled from Charlotte, giving manager Tony La Russa nine relievers to work with.
La Russa said Engel, who exited the Field of Dreams game Thursday with groin soreness, is expected to come off the IL in 10 days. With Dallas Keuchel starting against the Athletics Monday and Reynaldo Lopez, who is not fully stretched out, starting Tuesday, bullpen arms will be needed. Foster pitched Saturday and Sunday and wouldn’t have been available Monday.
“It’s all about being able to have fresh arms and not getting into a situation where you’re pitching guys who should not pitch,” La Russa said.
Wright, 31, was 7-5 with a 3.40 ERA over 16 starts with Charlotte. Signed as a free agent last December, he owns a 6.00 ERA in 110 major league games with the Orioles and Mariners, including 23 starts.
Burdi DFA’d
To make room on the 40-man roster for Wright, right-hander Zack Burdi was designated for assignment. A 2016 first-round draft pick, Burdi has battled injuries in his career and is 0-2 with a 7.20 ERA over 23 relief appearances with Charlotte. In six games with the Sox in 2021, he allowed six earned runs in nine innings.
Burdi, a Downers Grove South graduate, was drafted in the first round in 2016.
Upon further review
La Russa admitted Monday he should have challenged an out call on Tim Anderson in the seventh inning of a 5-3 loss to the Yankees Sunday.
“And I blame myself more than I blame [pregame instructor Mike Kashirsky in the video room] because we get into the seventh inning, it’s close, it’s a good shot to take,” La Russa said. “But what I said yesterday is what I heard, it was a tie and all that. But watching it, it looks we would have had a good chance. That would have been a big play.”
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