GLENDALE, Ariz. — Right-hander Dane Dunning has been sidelined again, this time with discomfort in his right forearm, the White Sox said Tuesday.
Dunning, who is ranked the Sox’ No. 6 prospect by MLB Pipeline, is being evaluated, the team said.
At Class AA Birmingham last season, Dunning left a start June 23 and missed the rest of the season with a sprained right elbow. He returned to the mound for the Instructional League and entered the offseason expecting to be healthy for spring training. He didn’t get an invitation to major-league camp, however, after getting one last spring.
The injury is the second setback to a top Sox prospect this spring. Outfielder Luis Basabe, who is ranked the Sox’ No. 7 prospect by MLB Pipeline, suffered a broken hamate bone in his left hand. They are the latest in a rash of injuries to Sox prospects in the last two years.
Dunning was acquired with right-handers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez from the Nationals in the trade for outfielder Adam Eaton.
Giolito gets into swing of things
The 6-6 Giolito said his shortened arm swing, which has produced good results in side sessions and live batting practice in the first two weeks of camp, was more or less stumbled upon by accident.
Using a weighted-ball warmup with four movements before he threw in the offseason, Giolito stayed more compact with his arm action to avoid injury. The motion carried over into his offseason throwing program.
It felt comfortable, and now ‘‘the ball is coming out better than it has in a long time,’’ Giolito said. ‘‘So I let it ride, and here I am. It’s cleaner, more efficient. It’s easier for me to be on time. And if I get out of whack, it’s easier to make an adjustment because it’s smaller.’’
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The change for Giolito, who will make his first spring start Thursday, hasn’t affected his velocity. If it translates into better command — he walked an American League-high 90 batters in 173„ innings last season — Giolito will be on to something. Staying compact can be a challenge for someone so tall.
‘‘He’s able to command the ball very, very well,’’ manager Rick Renteria said. ‘‘It’s a little tougher to see. His breaking ball is a little sharper.’’
‘‘It feels super natural,’’ Giolito said. ‘‘It feels really good.’’
So far, so good for Moncada
Yoan Moncada is swinging the bat well early on, and his transition from second base to third has been uneventful.
‘‘There’s a different focus to him,’’ Renteria said.
Renteria said Moncada can be a ‘‘nice defensive third baseman with some range.’’
Finger improving, Santana says
Right-hander Ervin Santana, who arrived in camp Saturday after signing a one-year deal with an opportunity to become the fifth starter, is slated for a simulated game Thursday.
Limited to five appearances with the Twins in 2018 because of a finger injury, Santana described his bullpen session Monday as ‘‘very good’’ and said: ‘‘The finger is getting better. Mentally, physically, everything is very good.’’
Santana said it’s too soon to say he’ll be ready by Opening Day.
‘‘I don’t know,’’ he said. ‘‘I just take it one day at a time. Trying not to get ahead of myself. Just trying to be ready.’’
