The White Sox have already dealt with Lucas Giolito being on the injured list this year for a few weeks and on Monday the team announced that left-hander Carlos Rodon will have Tommy John surgery ending his 2019 season. Ervin Santana made three starts for the White Sox and was then DFA'd. Now, Manny Bañuelos might be headed to the injured list.
The lefty was knocked around for his third straight start, as he allowed five runs in four innings on Tuesday against Cleveland. Bañuelos was also taken out because of a shoulder issue.
At this point it's a pretty safe bet that Bañuelos will be placed on the injured list and that creates a big problem for the White Sox.
Bañuelos was already the second pitcher the White Sox were using to back up the starting rotation along with Dylan Covey. If Bañuelos is lost for some time, then there's really no good answer to fill in for him in the starting rotation.
Sure, you're probably screaming Dylan Cease's name at your screen, but the White Sox aren't going to rush him up to the big leagues. As far as other options at Triple-A? They aren't any good either.
The White Sox are definitely more competitive to begin 2019 compared to last year, but these injuries to the rotation are demoralizing. After Tuesday's 9-0 loss, the White Sox dropped to 19-22.
After a while, these injuries to the rotation will take their toll on the team that simply doesn't have much pitching depth this year.
