Ventura to start in final Royals-White Sox game of season
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Chicago White Sox missed Tyler Saladino's bat the past couple of days, losing two to the Kansas City Royals.
Saladino has been held out with a left calf issue after exiting the game prematurely Friday. The White Sox are hopeful Saladino could start Monday for the final game this year against the Royals.
"He's getting better," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "Again, it's just something that he's dealing with that (trainer) Herm's (Schneider) dealing with. There's nothing wrong. He got checked out yesterday. There's nothing mechanically wrong in there. He's just sore and you just have to treat it."
Saladino is .500 (16-for-32) in his past nine games, with three doubles, five runs and four RBIs. He has a .349 average in his past 28 games and a .377 average in 14 September games against American League opponents.
"He's made his own adjustments, even going through it last year, guys starting to get a book on him, pitching him a certain way," Ventura said. "For him, coming into this year and even later on, like this last month, hitting with some power, hitting some doubles, being able to drive in runs from down in the lineup is, I think, just a test of how he can adjust and improve and continue to just play baseball.
"When you look at him, he's just a baseball player. There's things that he does that, you know, proves over and over again how valuable he is."
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Saladino has started 38 games at second, 27 at shortstop and 10 at third base.
"He's been an everyday player as of late," Ventura said. "Just being able to have the versatility, being able to move him around, and moving him around gives him more value. A lot of guys don't always look at it that way, but if there is an injury, even though he is a shortstop and can play third base, similar to this year, with Brett (Lawrie) going down, you can play him at second base and you can leave him there. That's how versatile he is. You don't really sit there and look at it as 'we'll just make do for a couple of days.' You actually let him play it out."
The Royals won 10-3 Saturday and are 13-5 against the White Sox this season with one game remaining. The White Sox did not win consecutive games against the Royals this season. The White Sox have lost six consecutive season series to the Royals, going 40-71 in that span.
Left-hander Carlos Rodon will make his 26th start of the season Monday and his fifth against the Royals. Rodon is 2-1 with a 2.28 ERA against the Royals, who have hit .290 off him in the four outings. Rodon has struck out 23 in 23 2/3 innings.
Rodon beat the Royals 7-2 on Sept. 9 at U.S. Cellular Field, striking out nine in six innings while allowing one run on six hits.
While Rodon is 5-1 with a 2.77 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings in his past eight starts, seven of them quality, he is coming off a loss Wednesday to the Cleveland Indians. Rodon surrendered six runs on nine hits, including one home run, and three walks in five innings against the Indians for his first loss since July 31.
Rodon, the third overall pick in the 2014 draft out of North Carolina State, spent time on the disabled list in July after injuring his left wrist when he slipped and fell in the White Sox dugout.
Whit Merrifield is 4-for-7 off Rodon.
The Royals will start right-hander Yordano Ventura in the final matchup of the two clubs this year. Ventura is coming off one of his worst starts, allowing five runs on seven hits over 4 1/3 innings in an 8-0 loss to Oakland on Wednesday.
Ventura is 1-2 with a 5.19 ERA and 12 walks in three September starts. Opponents are hitting .324 off him in those starts.
