Yoan Moncada back in White Sox’ leadoff spot but out at home

One day after being removed after the second inning because of discomfort in his left leg, Yoan Moncada led off and played second base. His day was not boring.

In the third inning, with the White Sox leading 1-0, Jose Abreu singled to right, and Moncada tried to score from second but was thrown out at the plate by Josh Reddick.

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“We keep our aggressiveness during the whole game,” Moncada said. “It doesn’t matter if we’re up or down or if we’re down [by] a lot of runs. We’re always trying to give our best effort and be aggressive the whole game.”

Manager Rick Renteria thought Moncada was moving well on the play, even though he was called out. The call was close enough for Renteria and the Sox to challenge.

“He was moving hard all the way through the base hit,’’ Renteria said. ‘‘There was no hesitation in his turn. I thought he put in as good a slide as he possibly could. We were probably a half-inch away from being safe. Ultimately, the review was not overturned. He felt confident he had gotten in there.”

Moncada said “everything is good” with the leg and that he didn’t feel anything wrong Sunday.

When asked about what happened Saturday, Renteria stressed Moncada was removed for health reasons, not as a message.

“He was feeling a little uncomfortable with his leg, so I made sure he had it checked out yesterday,’’ Renteria said. ‘‘He’s doing OK. Obviously, we had everybody make sure he was capable of going today, and he is. So he’s in there.”

Something beneficial

Carson Fulmer pitched 1„ innings of relief Friday and is still expected to start Tuesday against the Mariners in the second game of the series. Fulmer said he had a mechanical issue he was able to fix during that outing and believes he was able to take something out of the appearance.

“I needed to come out of the pen and eat some innings up, and I was definitely able to do that for the club,” Fulmer said. “I’m still learning in this game at this level. Being able to just take the best out of every outing is really important, and I’m definitely feeling really comfortable going into my next start.”

As for throwing in relief, Fulmer didn’t have a problem with his spot appearance. He saw it as a chance to improve and test himself against one of the best teams in baseball, not to mention get some work in.

“I bounced back really well,’’ Fulmer said. ‘‘I’m always able to throw regardless of what day it is or the situation. As much as I can get thrown out there, regardless if it’s as a starter or in relief, I’m able to get good work in. Houston has one of the best lineups in the league. I was able to have a lot of success against it. I know my stuff’s there. I feel very comfortable each time out, and I’m starting to really trust my ability to throw strikes.”