Third baseman Yoan Moncada didn’t play in the series finale Sunday against the Royals because of irritation in the back of his left leg. The question now is whether he’ll miss the series opener Monday against the Twins.
‘‘I don’t know yet,’’ Sox manager Rick Renteria said. ‘‘We have to let him go through the whole process, and then we’ll come back to it and see where he’s at. We’ll know a little more tonight after he’s been treated up and things like that and then see how he’s doing tomorrow.’’
The persistent issue flared up in the ninth inning Saturday, when Moncada was removed from the game after reaching second on a throwing error by Royals pitcher Ian Kennedy.
‘‘He’s still obviously trying to play through that sore back of his leg,’’ Renteria said. ‘‘They’re still treating it, so we’re going to see if we can give him a break, see if it calms down a little bit. He’s been doing everything he can to push himself to be out there.’’
Danny Mendick started at third in place of Moncada.
Dunning delivers
After being recalled from Schaumburg before the game, right-hander Dane Dunning threw five hitless innings and struck out seven in his second career start. And he might have earned more chances in the Sox’ rotation going forward.
‘‘I would say yes,’’ Renteria said.
Dunning has struck out 14 batters in two starts, the most by a Sox pitcher in his first two career appearances. He became the sixth Sox rookie to allow no hits in at least five innings and the first since Wilson Alvarez threw a no-hitter in 1991.
‘‘I felt really comfortable on the mound,’’ Dunning said. ‘‘My first [start], the debut, the nerves were a little bit high. In this outing, the first inning, nerves are there a little. But as the game went on, it kind of came back to me. It felt really comfortable, and it felt good.’’
In a corresponding move, the Sox put left-hander Gio Gonzalez on the 10-day injured list with a strained right groin.
Giolito’s encore
Monday marks right-hander Lucas Giolito’s first scheduled start since throwing his no-hitter against the Pirates.
Giolito will be opposed by Twins left-hander Rich Hill and will be looking to continue his success in Minneapolis. In his most recent start at Target Field on Aug. 21 of last season, Giolito threw a three-hit shutout and struck out 12.
With the no-hitter, Giolito became the first pitcher in Sox history with 13 or more strikeouts and zero runs allowed in back-to-back starts. Giolito also has streaks of 11 hitless innings and 17 scoreless innings.
And, for the record, the only pitcher to throw consecutive no-hitters is the Reds’ Johnny Vander Meer, who accomplished the feat in 1938 against the Boston Bees and Brooklyn Dodgers.
