GLENDALE, Ariz. — Charlie Tilson’s recovery from a stress reaction in his right foot will be slow, but the outfield prospect doesn’t appear to be headed for a stint on the 60-day disabled list.
Tilson, who tore his hamstring in his White Sox debut last season after the team acquired him from the Cardinals for lefty Zach Duke, had the foot re-evaluated and will keep it in a walking boot for another three weeks.
He had the inside track on starting in center field but barely got on the field this spring.
With Opening Day a week from Monday, it looks as though Peter Bourjos will start in center, although Jacob May, who has no major-league experience, has shown enough in his overall game to force the issue. He’s batting .364 with three triples.
The Sox would have to make room on the 40-man roster for Bourjos, 29, but there is wiggle room. Rather than get May’s service-time clock running now, they could bring him up later this season. Manager Rick Renteria wasn’t tipping his hand on which way the Sox are leaning.
“We’re still looking at Bourjy and May,’’ he said. “Everybody forgets [infielder] Leury [Garcia] also plays center field. We have three options available to us.’’
Tilson will rehab the foot in Arizona with hopes of becoming No. 1 again. It will be four to six weeks after Tilson is out of the boot before he would be expected to play.
“It’s a very significant injury,’’ he said. “You have to collect yourself and do everything you can and move forward. It’s what I owe to the fans, the organization, my coaches and everything.’’
Rounding out the bullpen
Michael Ynoa, the 6-7 right-hander acquired from the Athletics in the Jeff Samardzija trade two winters ago, has a 6.08 ERA after finishing the 2016 season with eight scoreless appearances in September to post a 3.00 ERA in 23 games.
Ynoa, 25, still seems to have a place on the Opening Day roster.
“He has had some ups and downs,’’ Renteria said. “We’re not too concerned about it. We hope he continues to [perform] as he finished the last season when the season starts.’’
Ynoa and Anthony Swarzak appear to have inside tracks on joining David Robertson, Nate Jones, Dan Jennings, Zach Putnam and Jake Petricka in the bullpen. In 2009, Ynoa was rated as the A’s No. 3 prospect.
This and that
Carlos Rodon is scheduled to have a second opinion on his upper left biceps Monday with Los Angeles-based Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Rodon had an MRI exam Friday that was clean.
• The Sox have three Cactus League games left and two exhibition games against the Brewers in Milwaukee on Friday and Saturday. A workout Sunday precedes the opener against the Tigers on Monday at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Follow me on Twitter @CST_soxvan.
Email: dvanschouwen@suntimes.com
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