White Sox, Tigers rained out; Manny Banuelos to start Monday

DETROIT — The White Sox’ scheduled game Saturday against the Tigers at Comerica Park was postponed because of rain. It will be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader Aug. 6, and right-hander Ervin Santana will have to wait four more days to pitch.

The Sox are scheduled to complete what was supposed to be a four-game series Sunday. The forecast looks better, with sunshine and temperatures in the mid-60s. Right-hander Reynaldo Lopez will take his scheduled turn, and Santana, who was scheduled to pitch Saturday, will be skipped until Wednesday.

Left-hander Manny Banuelos will take injured right-hander Lucas Giolito’s place in the rotation Monday, when the Sox open a three-game series against the Orioles in Baltimore. Right-hander Ivan Nova will pitch Tuesday, followed by Santana.

Banuelos will make his first start since he started six games for the Braves in 2015, his last season in the majors. Groomed as a starter during spring training, Banuelos has a 3.48 ERA in four relief appearances, three of them of three innings or more.

‘‘The results have been fine,’’ Banuelos said Saturday. ‘‘But I know I can do better. Too many walks [three in three innings Monday against the Royals] my last time out.’’

Mashing Moncada

Third baseman Yoan Moncada said he never has hit a ball as hard as the one he launched 458 feet to center field Friday against Tigers right-hander Jordan Zimmermann.

Shortstop Tim Anderson, who watched the game on TV while serving a one-game suspension for his role in a benches-clearing incident Wednesday against the Royals, couldn’t get over how far Moncada’s blast traveled.

Anderson, partly in jest, said Moncada should have flipped his bat. But we might not see that from Moncada — certainly not one as celebratory as the flip by Anderson that caused such an uproar.

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‘‘No, no, no,’’ Moncada said through a translator. ‘‘That’s not my style. I haven’t felt the need to do that. There are some instances during the games that you can feel, like, excited. But I never feel like trying to do something like that.’’

It was Moncada’s sixth homer in 19 games, putting him on an early pace for 50. He hit 17 in his first full season in 2018, but he is sure to top that if he continues swinging the bat as he has in the first three weeks.

How many?

‘‘Let’s wait for the season to unfold,’’ Moncada said. ‘‘I’m going to keep doing my thing. At the end of the season, we’ll see. [Big power numbers are] a possibility, but we’ll see how the season progresses and how things go for me.’’

Moncada is batting .321/.361/.628 with six homers, six doubles and 18 RBI.

Still no Jay

Outfielder Jon Jay, who’s traveling with the team, said he’s still day-to-day with he called a right ‘‘leg-area strain.’’

Jay, who hasn’t played a game with the Sox yet, went on the injured list with a strained right hip March 26. He spoke of back soreness at the time, too.

‘‘I feel fine hitting and throwing,’’ said Jay, who signed a one-year, $4 million contract as a free agent in January. ‘‘The big test is going to be running. We haven’t gotten there yet.

‘‘I’m getting better. Like I said the whole time, there’s no timetable.’’