White Sox Might Search For Two Pitchers In Free Agency After Rodon Is Shelved For 6-8 Months

Carlos Rodon told the media on Sept. 24 that he was confident he would not begin next season on the D.L. Four days later the White Sox announced that Rodon had arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder and would be out six to eight months.

Rodon battled biceps bursitis all season and the ailment finally required surgery to debride the nagging issue. The procedure was performed by Dr. Neal El Attrache in Los Angeles and there was no indication of rotator cuff or labrum damage. Regarding the southpaw’s perceived return, Rick Hahn said “The timing will depend on how his rehab goes. We’ll know more about the specifics of the timing when Carlos completes his rehab and begins throwing in Spring Training.”

An optimistic outlook places Rodon back in the rotation by March while realistically it appears the southpaw will start the season on the D.L. There is no reason to rush Rodon back to the field when the White Sox are expected to run another sour campaign in 2018. But Rodon’s injury changes the complexion of the offseason for White Sox brass. Signing one starting pitcher from free agency seemed a likely bet before Rodon hit the shelf and now it appears two starters might be what the doctor ordered. Michael Kopech will not start the season in the big-league rotation but he could reach the show by June or July. If Rodon falls on the longer end of recovery he could rejoin the White Sox around the same time. Carson Fulmer is likely to get another whack at the starting rotation next season and with Reynaldo Lopez, Lucas Giolito and James Shields rounding out the other three spots there is only room for one more starter on paper. Hahn is sure to kick the tires on several free agents this offseason to see if there’s a worthwhile deal to be had, and a player like Jeremy Hellickson could become a valuable asset at the trade deadline. Additional notes from Rick Hahn's end-of-year presser The White Sox are confident they will retain the same field staff in 2018 and Cuban sensation Luis Robert is likely to attend big-league camp next spring. But don't get your hopes too high, Robert's destiny is Low-A.