Jun 8, 2013; Raleigh, NC, USA; North Carolina State pitcher Carlos Rodon (16) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Rice Owls in the Raleigh super regional of the 2013 NCAA baseball tournament at Doak Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
In the midst of the White Sox being swept in 2 straight series, and now a season-low 12 games under .500, things just can’t seem to go right for the team. But not all news is bad, as things continue to look great for one particular Sox prospect.
Carlos Rodon faced off against the Norfolk Tides today, and pitched well for 4 innings. Today was the furthest he has gone into a minor league game this year. What was more impressive was the 8 strikeouts, as he now has 31 Ks in 19.2 professional innings. He ended up allowing just 1 hit, and 1 earned run which lowers his minors ERA to an incredibly impressive 2.57.
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In 2 outings now for the Knights, Rodon has 11 strikeouts in 7 innings. More importantly, he’s holding opponents to an abysmal .091 average. That will most certainly get the job done no matter where he’s pitching. With an off day on Thursday, Rodon will make another start either the 29th or the 30th. He will go up against the Gwinnett Braves, the team he faced in his first start with Charlotte.
It will be Rodon’s first away outing with the team, and it may also be his last. If all goes well in his next outing (maybe regardless), he could be in Chicago by September 1st. The likelihood of Rodon being promoted continues to grow every time he toes the rubber. As for the team finding a pitcher to send down for him, take your pick. I’m sure the guys in the head office will have no problem finding a reliever, or even a starter that Rodon can take over for.
It would be nice to see the young southpaw go deeper into his next outing, just to see how he can handle the pressure. Whether or not he will start for the team this year, it will still be a good indicator for 2015.
It’s almost a certainty now that Rodon will be in Chicago shortly. In most cases, it would be considered rushing the young pitcher. Except for Carlos, he has shown MLB ready stuff since he’s been here, and hasn’t skipped a beat. If he can stay consistent like he has when he comes to the Sox, expect him to be the #2 ace behind Chris Sale sooner than later.