White Sox put Delmonico on 10-day DL; Rodon hit hard in loss

By David Just | For the Sun-Times

Chicago White Sox’ Nicky Delmonico (30) bats against the Texas Rangers in a baseball game Friday, Aug. 18, 2017, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Mike Stone)

The injury bug that has been going around the White Sox’ clubhouse this season has been highly contagious this week.

Outfielder Nicky Delmonico became the latest victim, going on the disabled list Saturday with a sprained right wrist. He followed second baseman Yoan Moncada (shin), who was put on the DL on Friday, and right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (back), who landed on the list Aug. 19.

‘‘I think it’s just coincidence, happenstance,’’ manager Rick Renteria said before the Sox’ 6-3 loss to the Tigers at Guaranteed Rate Field. ‘‘You know, it happens. Sometimes you have bad things going on at the same time. You just deal with it.’’

Eight Sox are on the DL right now, and 19 have found themselves there this season. To put that number in context, the Cubs have put 11 players on the DL this season. The Dodgers have put 28 on it, according to STATS.

The latest rash of injuries has deprived fans of Moncada, the Sox’ top prospect, and Delmonico, one of their most exciting hitters in the last month. Delmonico, who isn’t among the Sox’ highest-rated prospects, had posted a .307/.429/.573 slash line with six homers and 12 RBI since his debut Aug. 1.

‘‘The severity of things that are occurring right now, they seem to be just nagging little things,’’ Renteria said. ‘‘So hopefully they’ll be recovering sooner than later.’’

Despite being in last place in the American League Central, the battered Sox deserve credit for continuing to fight. That work ethic was evident Saturday, even in a loss that ended a three-game winning streak.

Left-hander Carlos Rodon, who missed much of the first half of the season with a biceps injury, is working with a new pregame routine to help him last longer in outings. In his last several starts, Rodon didn’t get into a groove until he was already through two or three innings. Now he’s starting his warmup routine earlier in an effort to find his rhythm sooner.

Rodon was roughed up for five runs and seven hits in five innings. He also allowed back-to-back home runs and hit two batters, but he said the poor outing won’t keep him from sticking with the plan.

‘‘Today just wasn’t very good,’’ said Rodon, whose streak of five quality starts in a row ended. ‘‘They hit the ball well and made me pay on some pitches I missed on.’’

Justin Upton connected on a 1-1 fastball and parked it in the bleachers in right-center field for a two-run homer in the third. The next hitter, Miguel Cabrera, smacked a 1-0 changeup out to right.

‘‘He was a little erratic,’’ Renteria said of Rodon. ‘‘Not as good as he’s been the last couple of outings. He ended up getting a little fatigued, so he was good after five.’’

The Sox’ bullpen, which hadn’t allowed a run in its last 10 innings, picked up the slack. It yielded one run in four innings to keep the Sox in the game.

Sox hitters competed, too, working through four relievers and putting runners in scoring position in the sixth, eighth and ninth. Yolmer Sanchez, who gave the Sox a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer in the second, struck out swinging with runners at second and third in the sixth, and Tyler Saladino struck out looking with runners at first and third to end the game.

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