White Sox put Manny Banuelos on injured list, recall reliever Carson Fulmer

The White Sox’ thin rotation lost a little more weight it couldn’t stand to drop Wednesday with left-hander Manny Banuelos going on the 10-day injured list with shoulder inflammation. His absence leaves a void for Tuesday, when the Sox play the Red Sox in Boston.

Banuelos’ stint is retroactive to June 16, and right-hander Carson Fulmer was called up from Class AAA Charlotte, where he had a 3.97 ERA in 15 relief appearances. Banuelos, 28, is 3-4 with a 6.90 ERA, so it’s not exactly a crippling blow. But the Sox, who signed 32-year-old journeyman Odrisamer Despaigne (8.71 ERA) to a minor-league contract last month and are giving him his third start Saturday in Texas, already were grasping at straws to fill out an undermanned rotation.

Right-hander Dylan Covey (shoulder) is on the disabled list but slated for one or two side sessions to determine his status, so it’s too soon to pencil him in Tuesday.

“We have a few days off, so we’ll deal with that as we continue to move forward and see what adjustments we have to make,” manager Rick Renteria said, being as vague as he could be about what the Sox have in mind.

Dylan Cease, the organization’s top healthy pitching prospect, won’t be rushed into service, general manager Rick Hahn said. Moreover, the Sox prefer a friendlier landing spot for Cease’s debut than Fenway Park, and Cease — scheduled to start for Charlotte on Friday — has allowed 11 earned runs in 10‰ innings in his last three starts, including a first-inning knockout, so it’s not like he’s locked and loaded for his debut.

“Would I want to bring him here so that you could be happy about him being here in the big leagues?” Renteria said when asked the ‘Why not Cease?’ question. “Sure, I would. But we’re going to make sure that we take our time and are very thoughtful in our decision-making.”

Meanwhile, the Sox are lining up Reynaldo Lopez (6.31 ERA), Despaigne and Ivan Nova (6.01) for Friday, Saturday and Sunday against the Rangers.

Fulmer, 25, is 1-1 with a 6.97 ERA in eight relief appearances and 10„ innings in three stints with the Sox this year. A former starter and the No. 8 overall pick in 2015, he’s trying to keep his career on track as a reliever.

“Yeah, I haven’t [started] in a while, but it’s something that I have done in my career,” Fulmer said. “Whatever they need, I’m definitely down for it. Hopefully, we will find out the game plan they have for me in the next couple of days.

“I was going two or three innings down there. Back-to-back days. I was pretty much doing everything. It definitely got me ready for any situation here.”

Moncada returns to lineup

Third baseman Yoan Moncada, who played in parts of three of the Sox’ previous seven games, returned to the starting lineup, and center fielder Leury Garcia remained in it despite not being 100 percent with “tired legs.”

“But I’m good,” Garcia said. “No injuries. I’m 100 percent good.”

Garcia proved it by hitting a 429-foot home run to left field on Jon Lester’s first pitch of the game.