White Sox rookie Nick Madrigal headed to injured list with separated shoulder

White Sox second baseman Nick Madrigal is headed to the 10-day injured list with a separated left shoulder, general manager Rick Hahn said Wednesday.

Madrigal injured the shoulder on a slide into third base in Milwaukee on Tuesday night. Hahn was optimistic that the injury is not season-ending but said surgery in the offseason is a possibility.

“We are optimistic that with some treatment and rehab Nick will be able to return to action for us at some point before the end of this month,” Hahn said.

Hahn said designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion, who left Tuesday’s game as well, is day-to-day with inflammation on the SC joint near his left shoulder. Danny Mendick started at second base Wednesday against the Brewers, and Yasmani Grandal was the designated hitter with James McCann, who caught Dallas Keuchel’s first two starts, behind the plate.

Madrigal joins a rash of Sox on the injured list, including left-hander Carlos Rodon (shoulder soreness), who landed there Tuesday, although Rodon could rejoin the team “in the next couple of weeks,” Hahn said. Scans on Rodon’s shoulder were clean.

Hahn also said shortstop Tim Anderson (groin strain) is “progressing nicely” and will work with the taxi squad starting Thursday in advance of a return to the team. Anderson won’t be eligible to come off the IL until after the weekend series against the Indians.

Filling Rodon’s spot

Saturday’s starter is TBD, and indications from Hahn are that prospect Dane Dunning, who’s at Schaumburg, won’t be the one. Dunning, who is coming off Tommy John surgery, doesn’t have enough innings under his belt to warrant a start just yet, Hahn said.

Ross Detwiler seems likely to remain in the bullpen. He has not allowed a run this season.

But the Sox aren’t ruling out using a bullpen day Saturday. In that event, Detwiler could be first.

“We’ve got a couple of days to kind of organize what we need to do for that day and the coming starts,” manager Rick Renteria said. “The usage before those games, when we might end up using multiple guys, will be very important. We’ll see where we’re at and the type of outings we get from our starters in the coming days.”

Hahn said prospects Jonathan Stiever and Bernardo Flores, a left-hander, could be called on in some capacity before long.

Top prospects

MLB Pipeline’s latest rankings of prospects has Luis Robert as No. 3 behind Rays shortstop Wander Franco and Dodgers middle infielder Gavin Lux.

The Sox’ top 10: 1. Robert, OF; 2. Andrew Vaughn, 1B; 3. Michael Kopech, RHP; 4. Madrigal, 2B; 5. Garret Crochet, LHP; 6. Jared Kelley, RHP; 7. Stiever, RHP; 8. Dunning, RHP; 9. Matthew Thompson, RHP; 10. Micker Adolfo, OF.

The quote

Leury Garcia, on Robert stepping in front of him to catch a routine fly in Cleveland last week: “He took a fly ball from me the other day, and I told him, ‘Next time, I will punch you.’ But he’s a great guy. It’s a lot of fun watching Robert play the outfield. It’s unbelievable, this guy.”

Garcia laughed after the play.