Chicago @ Toronto preview
Rogers Centre
Last Meeting ( Aug 25, 2021 ) Chi. White Sox 1, Toronto 3
Chicago left-hander Carlos Rodon returned from the injured list to start Thursday afternoon as the White Sox looked to salvage a split of their four-game series with the host Toronto Blue Jays.
Rodon, sidelined with shoulder fatigue since Aug. 8, is 9-5 with a 2.38 ERA in 19 starts this season. He threw a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians on April 14.
Rodon said he did not recover as well as usual after his start against the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 7, so he was given the break.
"I would rather be at 100 percent or close to 100 percent competing out there for my team," Rodon said recently. "It was one of those decisions."
There will be no specific pitch count for his start, manager Tony La Russa said.
"I think mostly it's going to be observing him, if he's throwing the ball well and he's keeping his delivery together, you extend him a little further the next inning," the skipper said. "It's going to be the first time he's actually competing in a game (in a while), and he may get fatigued early; they've got a tough lineup. I think you just watch. But he's not going to be throwing 100 pitches or something."
Rodon faced the Blue Jays on June 8 at Chicago and did not factor in the decision in the 6-1 White Sox win. He allowed one run and six hits while striking out eight in five innings.
He will oppose Toronto left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu (12-6, 3.54), who will face the White Sox for the second time in his career. He lost to them June 10 when he allowed three runs, five hits and one walk in six innings.
The Jays took a 2-1 series lead with a 3-1 victory on Wednesday when they scored twice in the eighth.
Left-hander Robbie Ray did not factor in the decision, but he was a big reason Toronto won. He held the White Sox to one run in seven innings while matching his career high with 14 strikeouts. The Blue Jays struck out 16 in the game to equal a season best previously done July 9 and May 24 against the Tampa Bay Rays each time.
"This was a huge win for us," Ray said. "A huge momentum swing. We are looking to come back (Thursday) and keep building on it. To be able to come into this game and grind it out, it was huge for us."
White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada had an RBI single in the third inning Wednesday to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. He is batting .356 (16-for-45) during that span.
Blue Jays third baseman Santiago Espinal extended his hitting streak to seven games with a fifth-inning single. He is batting .375 (9-for-24) on the streak.
The White Sox had shortstop Tim Anderson back in the lineup Wednesday after he had missed four games with sore legs. He was 0-for-4.
Toronto reinstated right-handed reliever Joakim Soria from the injured list (inflammation of right middle finger) Wednesday. Right-handed reliever Connor Overton was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo.
The Blue Jays improved to 19-28 in games decided by one or two runs.
The season series between the teams is 3-3.
--Field Level Media