White Sox lefty Carlos Rodon underwent arthroscopic surgery on Wednesday, the team announced this afternoon. Rodon’s surgery repaired a “significant” case of bursitis in his left shoulder, per Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago (Twitter links). A recovery time for his specific case wasn’t provided, Hayes notes, but the Sox suggested that the general recovery timeline for this procedure is anywhere from six to eight months.
The short end of that timeline would allow Rodon to be ready for the bulk of Spring Training. However, that time frame also seems to suggest that Rodon could miss the early portion of the 2018 campaign — possibly more than the first month of the season. Certainly, there will be more updates on his condition as his rehab progresses over the life of the offseason.
Set to turn 25 in December, Rodon is a key piece for the rebuilding White Sox as the team looks toward its future. Chicago selected the NC State lefty with the third overall pick in the 2014 draft, and he impressed with a 3.75 ERA over 139 1/3 innings as soon as the 2015 campaign — debuting less than one year after being drafted. Rodon followed that up with a slightly worse ERA in 2016 (4.04) but significant improvements to his control and to his durability, as he logged a career-high 165 innings in that solid 2016 effort.
The 2017 season was a struggle for Rodon, though, as he missed the first two months of the season with bursitis in his left biceps and was shut down for the year in early September. Overall, Rodon managed just 69 1/3 innings this season, though he did post a career-best 9.9 K/9 mark and a career-high 10.3 percent swinging-strike rate in that limited sample. Notably, Hayes adds in his tweets above that Rodon’s left biceps and the labrum in his left shoulder both looked “fine” when examined by renowned surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
[Related: Chicago White Sox depth chart]
The ChiSox already seemed a decent bet to explore the possibility of adding some veteran arms this offseason, given the inexperience of their rotation outside of struggling veteran James Shields. Uncertainty regarding Rodon’s timeline to start the 2018 season only figures to enhance that likelihood. The Sox have a pair of impressive young righties in their big league rotation at present in the form of Raynaldo Lopez and Lucas Giolito, but they’ll surely want to be careful with each in his first full big league season.
Beyond that, right-hander Michael Kopech (acquired in last December’s Chris Sale blockbuster) is perhaps the game’s top pitching prospect, but he’s thrown just 15 inning at the Triple-A level and could likely use some further development time. Other prospects, including righties Spencer Adams, Alec Hansen and Tyler Danish could all likely stand to gain some additional minor league seasoning as well; Danish had a dreadful season in Triple-A Charlotte this season, while neither Danish nor Hansen has thrown a single pitch at that level.
Maybe they shouldn’t have called him up barely a year after drafting him to begin with, he was barely ready then, now he’s physically forcing himself to pitch good and it’s obviously failed, he needs to remain in Triple A for a while and not be forced into a miserable mess that is the White Sox current team.
Couldn’t make any less sense.
I feel bad for him. Has all the tools, just needs to stay healthy. I think the Sox will make a Jon Lester-type signing in next couple years in advance of contention, but there is a plethora of prospects in the minor leagues that can fill out the rotation with or without Carlos. Hoping for a speedy recovery
I’m thinking they will be players for Machado at 3B after 18 but more likely sign Donaldson.
Putting your fandom aside…do you actually think either of those players would sign with the White Sox in 2018?
Why wouldn’t Manny Machado have interest in signing with a team like the White Sox in time for the 2019 season when the club is expected to become relevant in the A.L. Central?
Machado would be a centerpiece of a potentially dominating lineup for many years with Jose Abreu in 2019 along with other elite bats such as Yoan Moncada, Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert. Unlike in Baltimore, Machado will likely have a dominating pitching staff that should have the White Sox as perennial World Series contenders for the duration of any FA deal he signs.
“when the club is expected to become relevant”
Does your player development/injury avoidance crystal ball work for all teams, or just the Sox?
PS- Abreu is a FA after ’19,
My crystal ball worked just fine for the Cubs and I suspect it will do likewise for my other favorite team on the South Side of Chicago as well.
What does your crystal ball suggest or are you just going to wait for PECOTA OR ZiPS before letting your opinion be known?
Machado will want to sign with a team that has the money and is a proven competitor. There’s just too many ifs in your scenarios.
There are a lot of theories in this post…..”potentially dominating” other “elite bats” “likely dominating pitching staff”. “Should….as perennial WS contenders.” Dude put down the jersey and look at things for what they are. When looking two years out, keep in mind every team can look at things with rose colored glasses. But then injuries, bad beats, trades, slumps, etc come into play.
Machado is probably going to go to the team who offers him the most money.
I agree JDGoat, he’ll sign with whoever offers the most cash$.
Exactly! He will go where the money is. It is doubtful the White Sox would be the high bidder
I don’t realistically expect Machado to sign with the White Sox. I would also be hard pressed to single out any particular team as a favorite for his services at this point in time.
My comment reply was made in response to your original one that questioned why Machado would be even be interested in a club like the White Sox so I gave some compelling reasons to suggest a potential fit for him. Obviously money will be the primary determining factor but all things being equal the White Sox might provide a formidable destination for Machado come 2019 and beyond.
To pplama: PS-It’s common knowledge, especially among White Sox fans that Jose Abreu can become a free agent following the 2019 season. That is why I stated Machado could play “with Jose Abreu in 2019” and nothing more, although I do personally believe that the White Sox slugging first baseman stands a good chance of becoming a part of the White Sox future core with a contract extension in advance of his walk year.
To yankees_fan74: If it makes you feel any better, I would also include the Yankees among those clubs that are likely to be ”potentially dominating”, possess “elite bats” and be a “perennial WS contender.” during that same time frame I have pegged the White Sox. However, I’m not quite ready to predict a “likely dominating pitching staff” in the Bronx at this point in time. lol
Fact is Aaron Yanks are just so much closer in all those factors..
I’ll put out a candle for the Donaldson signing for you. To lose out on Machado and end up with Donaldson is something that no fan should feel. I wouldn’t wish that on a Mets fan.
I would be shocked if the White Sox offered any potential FA pitcher Jon Lester type dollars. It’s never happened in the past and their organization already has an abundance of quality rotation candidates including many already at the higher levels like Michael Kopech, Alec Hansen, Spencer Adams, Jordan Stephens and Jordan Guerrero. Others like Dylan Cease and Dane Dunning finished at high A-ball and will most certainly make their AA debuts in 2018.
There’s is no need to spend those kind of dollars on a pitcher. If Jerry Reinsdorf signs off on any substantial FA come the 2018/2019 class it would be for a 3B like Manny Machado.
A whole bunch of “Maybes” huh? Yeah, you’ll be lucky if one of those guys ends up as good as Lester. Hell, most won’t even be half as good.
As a Chicago baseball fan and admirer of Jon Lester I never once disrespected the Cubs southpaw in my comment. I only suggested that the White Sox are highly unlikely to offer “any potential FA pitcher Jon Lester type dollars.”
This pretty much guarantees the White Sox will pursue a couple of cheap and flippable veteran rotation arms this offseason. They don’t have enough decent options to fill out their starting staff if Rodon can’t be counted on at the beginning of the season and they certainly don’t want to rush their top prospects, particularly Michael Kopech who didn’t debut at AAA until very late in 2017. The organization would also be wise to make sure they have the upper hand when it comes to Kopech’s MLB service time clock and likely not promote him until later in May or even some point in June to avoid any possibility of him achieving Super 2 status.
I doubt that the White Sox are going to make a big dollar investment in veteran starting pitching. How would a guy like Chacin or Chatwood fit with that organization?
Think more along the lines of Chris Tillman.
Thinking more in terms of an inning eater so the young arms do not have to be extended as much. Tillman has not shown he can do that.
I’m just recommending you lower those expectations. Chatwood will require a rather pricey multi-year contract. Sox will be looking for another cheap flippable Starter.
i’m gonna miss that slider. hoping for a full recovery, he’s really fun to watch when he’s on
It’s a long way to opening day. The good news is that Carlos Rodon has had this procedure done now and should have ample time to rehab before spring training begins in February.
As it was, Rodon missed most of camp and virtually the entire first half of this past season until he finally made his first start on June 28th, the 77th game of the White Sox season. Nobody seemed sure what Rodon’s issues were last spring, least of all White Sox fans. Many were speculating that he may have come to camp in less than ideal shape. The club tried convincing their fan base that they were simply trying to use a similar approach to what they had utilized the previous spring with Chris Sale, namely to begin his spring regiment slowly so Rodon might stay stronger throughout the regular season. Clearly Rodon was having some physical issues that ultimately was diagnosed as bicep bursitis which landed him on the disabled list. until late June.
Hopefully, whatever issues Rodon has had with his biceps or shoulder will have been resolved with this arthroscopic procedure. If everything goes as planned perhaps we will all see his wipeout slider come opening day. Even if Rodon needs some extra time before he’s 100% healthy his 2018 debut still figures to be a lot sooner than June 28th. As a Chicago baseball fan, I just pray that Rodon’s ultimate fate does not resemble that of another top rated college pitcher who was also a highly regarded #1 pick on the North Side back in 2001…Mark Prior.
I think cobb would be a good fit
Unfortunate and very disappointing forecast for Rodon. Not surprised by this and I sure hope the Sox don’t expect much from this guy. He’s a lefty with a bum left arm and shoulder. Let’s go get another lefty.
White Sox fans pray his shoulder issues don’t resemble those of a former quality southpaw starter who went under the knife and was never the same afterward…John Danks.
Danks had a torn shoulder capsule… no one has really come back from that close to what they were.
Let’s hope not.
Yes. Danks’ injury was ultimately determined to be of a similar nature to that of Johan Santana, an ace pitcher who never came close to regaining his former stature following multiple surgeries on his anterior shoulder capsule.
Danks was initially diagnosed with a shoulder strain in May of 2012 after agreeing to a five-year, $65MM contract extension during the previous offseason. Like Rodon, Danks underwent an arthroscopic procedure to clean and repair his shoulder issues but clearly he was never the same pitcher afterwards. I’m also not certain how forthcoming the White Sox were with particulars involving Danks surgical procedure at the time of his arthroscopic procedure. I believe much of the information regarding an actual torn shoulder capsule wasn’t made public until years later. Technically speaking the White Sox didn’t have to be all that forthcoming with precise details involving Danks’ shoulder because of HIPPA laws. Clearly the organization was trying to do anything possible regarding Danks’ shoulder injury in order to salvage their substantial investment in the pitcher.
Do you mean “HIPAA”?
And MLBPA and teams have HIPAA waivers negotiated. So N/A.
The article was remiss in not mentioning Carson Fulmer as a possible rotation piece for the White Sox in 2018. After a rushed an ineffective MLB debut in the White Sox bullpen in 2016 and a disastrous first start this season, Fulmer seemed to turn the corner with two quality starts before departing early in his most recent one due to a finger blister. In his second and third start earlier this month, Fulmer combined to pitch 12 innings, allowing two runs, 7 hits, 4 walks while striking out 14. He is expected to take the mound one final time for a start this Saturday against the Indians in Cleveland.
If Tyler Danish gets a mention as a potential starting option in 2018, Fulmer most certainly deserves one as well considering his higher upside as a former ace at Vanderbilt along with a quicker rise through the White Sox farm system. In fact and despite being rushed into MLB duty, Fulmer still remains the only first round pitcher selected in the 2015 June Draft to have started a game in the big leagues as I post. Fulmer’s former rotation mate at Vanderbilt, Walker Buehler did debut this month in the Dodgers bullpen.
Let’s face it, his consistent arm issue in multiple places at a young age is quite troubling.
Be one thing if it was as simple as he needs tommy john like so many kids do now and then it’s solved.
Future might be in the pen as a Matt Thornton type.