On Monday night, the Chicago White Sox faced off against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit with left-hander Carlos Rodon taking the mound for them. In the first inning, Rodon looked strong, striking out two batters while only throwing 11 pitches.
In the second inning, Rodon struck out two consecutive batters before walking Daz Cameron. He then struck out Dustin Garneau to end the inning. The issue was that Rodon racked up 30 pitches in the second inning, bringing his pitch count up to 41 after just two frames.
In the third, Rodon ran into more trouble. He racked up 28 pitches in the inning while giving up three runs (two earned) on two hits and an error made by second baseman Cesar Hernandez.
After the third inning, Rodon was pulled after coming back into the dugout, saying he didn’t feel right.
The Chicago White Sox needs Carlos Rodon to be on top of his game in the playoffs.
Tony La Russa said Carlos Rodón came in after the third inning and said he didn't feel right, was experiencing some soreness. La Russa said Sox will check out Rodón tomorrow but added, "We're concerned."
— Vinnie Duber (@VinnieDuber) September 21, 2021
Rodon disagreed with his manager, saying that it was routine soreness and he’s not worried about his next start.
Carlos Rodón, on the other hand, describes how he's feeling, physically, as "normal soreness" that's "nothing crazy."
— Vinnie Duber (@VinnieDuber) September 21, 2021
Rodon has been in and out of the rotation for the White Sox lately with him missing time this season for the same soreness he describes as “nothing crazy”.
The Sox have had to adjust their rotation a few times this season to give the left-hander extra rest. This season, Rodon has logged 127.2 innings, the most he’s thrown since 2018. Fatigue seems to be an issue for him.
White Sox manager Tony LaRussa doesn’t believe that Rodon will be available for his next scheduled start next week but that the team will be cautious with him and see how the week unfolds.
La Russa said he doesn't see how Rodón will make his next scheduled start next week, adds that Sox will hope for the best but prepare for the worst.
— Vinnie Duber (@VinnieDuber) September 21, 2021
Look for the Sox to be cautious with Rodon as the regular season nears the end. They are hoping to have him fresh and ready to go for the opening round of the postseason, where it looks like they’ll be facing the Houston Astros, a team Rodon has dominated this season. He has a 0.64 ERA in 14 innings pitched against the Astros, allowing only four hits, one earned run while striking out 18.
The left-hander has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the American League this season. He has pitched to a 12-5 record, striking out 181 batters while maintaining a 2.47 ERA and 0.97 WHIP.
The 28-year-old left-hander is an important piece to this White Sox rotation as the team hopes to make a deep postseason run. If Rodon does pitch again during the regular season, expect it to come next week when the White Sox face the Tigers again at Guaranteed Rate Field.