Despite loss to Royals, White Sox in buying position as trade deadline looms

Despite their 9-6 loss Saturday to the Royals, the White Sox look worthy of the outside reinforcements that might be coming.

The Sox (20-13) are being linked to several starting pitchers before the trade deadline Monday. Various national reports said they are in on the Angels’ Dylan Bundy, the Rangers’ Lance Lynn and the Diamondbacks’ Robbie Ray in an effort to bolster their pitching staff.

That kind of talk is a welcome change for the Sox, who have been sellers, not buyers, at the deadline the last few seasons. True to form, however, manager Rick Renteria said he tries to stay away from ‘‘consuming my mind in any of the possibilities.’’

‘‘I deal with what I have in front of me, honestly,’’ Renteria said. ‘‘That would be just alternative noise, and there’s enough of a concern of me taking care of what I’ve got to take care of with the guys that I have.

‘‘We’re in a great position, though. It’s a good place to be for us as an organization. The possibility of things like that are now here with us. But I try not to consume myself too much with it.’’

What doesn’t help the Sox’ position is seeing one of their building blocks leave with an injury.

With one out in the ninth inning, third baseman Yoan Moncada tapped a pitch from Royals reliever Ian Kennedy between home and first. He appeared to be struggling as he ran, getting to second when Kennedy’s throw was errant. Renteria said Moncada felt irritation in the back of his left leg and would be evaluated Sunday.

Right-hander Dylan Cease walked six in 4„ innings, but the Sox still led 3-2 entering the seventh. Reliever Zack Burdi, however, allowed a tying home run to Ryan McBroom, a go-ahead single to Ryan O’Hearn and a three-run homer to Maikel Franco in a five-run inning that led to only the Sox’ second loss in their last 12 games.

‘‘It’s baseball,’’ Cease said. ‘‘We are not robots, so you are going to have games where things don’t click. But I think it’s just about coming to the ballpark tomorrow ready to go.’’

Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run homer, giving the Sox a franchise-record 52 round-trippers for the month. Tim Anderson had four hits and Nick Madrigal two, including an RBI single.

With the way they’ve started the season, it makes sense the Sox would be mentioned in the rumor mill. Renteria said he communicates with the front office but is ‘‘absolutely’’ happy with the players he has.

‘‘Any organization or any club is always trying to improve, and I think we’re no different than anybody else,’’ Renteria said. ‘‘I’m sure [general manager] Rick [Hahn] and [vice president] Kenny [Williams] and the front office are not going to limit themselves on any possibilities. But we’re sitting in a good place right now with the men that we have. The possibility of action, it always remains.’’

That action would be to help the Sox take the next step. That’s another sign of the growth Anderson said he has witnessed this season.

‘‘It’s been a long time coming since I got called up and where we are today,’’ Anderson said. ‘‘Definitely take pride in being [near] the top of the division . . . definitely kudos to us. But we’ve got to keep going. We aren’t done. We’ve got some more work to do, and we’ve just got to [bear] down and keep going.’’