White Sox’ home opener vs. Mariners postponed to Friday because of rain forecast

CLEVELAND — The White Sox’ home opener against the Mariners will have to wait until Friday.

With a weather forecast of rain and a high temperature of 44 Thursday, the team announced the postponement of the game late Wednesday morning. Instead, the first game of the season at Guaranteed Rate Field will be at 1:10 p.m. Friday, when the forecast calls for sun and temperatures in the low 50s.

All Opening Day tickets from the previous day are good for that game.

“It’s prudent and a wise decision,” manager Rick Renteria said.

The scheduled starting pitchers will remain the same. Right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (0-1, 9.00 ERA) will pitch for the Sox against Mariners left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (0-0, 2.53).

Tim expected for home opener

Shortstop Tim Anderson missed the two games in Cleveland to be with his wife, Bria, who delivered the couple’s second daughter Monday in Chicago. He had planned to be in the lineup if the home opener was played Thursday.

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To fill his spot, the Sox recalled hard-throwing right-hander Jose Ruiz from Class AAA Charlotte. He likely will go back down when Anderson returns Friday.

More of the same defense

A couple of hours after Renteria discussed his team’s poor defensive showing in the first four games, the Sox made three more errors — two on one play by middle infielders Yolmer Sanchez and Jose Rondon, filling in for Anderson, and a throwing error by third baseman Yoan Moncada, who hasn’t been pinpoint-accurate on throws across the diamond as he makes the transition from playing second base.

“I’m working on my footwork, getting into a rhythm,” Moncada said. “Sometimes I stay flat, and my throws go away. I’m working on it. It’s a matter of more reps and getting comfortable. Things will get better.”

Sanchez, who switched back to a familiar spot at second, is an even greater puzzle.

“I don’t see him pressing,” Renteria said. “I think it’s an anomaly. He’s very sure-handed.”

Sanchez is also 1-for-20 after going 0-for-4 and striking out three times.

Too soon to panic

While far from acceptable, the Sox aren’t freaking out about their shoddy defense.

“I don’t feel a panic,” Renteria said. “What we do see, there are things to correct.’’

Renteria viewed video of the Sox’ defensive issues, which include three or four mistakes or near-collisions on pop-ups.

“[We] try to communicate to our players the things that are necessary for them to improve on, approaches in the field,’’ Renteria said. “It’s a long season, and I’m glad it’s happening now and not in August and September. You never like it happening at all, but if it had to happen, right now is the best time to kind of make corrections.”

Jose Abreu echoed the same too-soon-for-worry message.

“We have played only four games,” he said before the game Wednesday. “I think we’re going to be better. We have been talking as a team, and the coaches have been talking with us. We know the things that we need to do better, and I think playing in back-to-back games and getting into the regular routine is going to make us better, too.”