‘ Concerned’ Rodon set for 2nd opinion
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Pitcher Carlos Rodon said the tightness he is feeling in his left biceps is ‘‘ concerning,’’ but he said the clean MRI exam he had Friday was ‘‘ reassuring.’’
Rodon will get a second opinion Monday from Los Angeles- based specialist Neal El Attrache after he was scratched from his second Cactus League start Friday. General manager Rick Hahn said the Sox will be cautious with Rodon, 24. Starting the season on the disabled list is all but certain.
‘‘ It just felt like a lot of tightness,’’ Rodon said Saturday. ‘‘ I could lift my arm above my head and throw with something on it, but not with the normal stuff I usually have. That’s why I was a little concerned. But I guess I could kind of tell. I’m not a doctor, but you know your body. It’s your body, so you know it the best. It didn’t feel like anything was damaged — to me, at least. But it was good to know nothing was really messed up in there.’’
Rodon pointed to the area of concern, near the shoulder. All seemed well after he allowed one hit, struck out five and walked one in four scoreless innings last Sunday against the Angels.
‘‘ I felt good up on the mound,’’ he said. ‘‘ Then [ Thursday], it didn’t feel normal. I couldn’t really get on it like I usually do the day before I pitch. It just wasn’t feeling right.
‘‘ That’s your tool. It’s concerning. But that’s why you go get those things checked out and make sure everything is OK. That’s what we did.’’
Rodon dealt with arm fatigue during one stretch last season, Hahn said, but he finished strong. He started behind everyone else this spring and didn’t pitch in a game until facing the Angels.
Then came this setback, which Hahn called ‘‘ ironic,’’ considering the Sox’ cautious plan of action and their history of keeping pitchers healthy.
‘‘ You don’t want to be behind the best guys,’’ Rodon said. ‘‘ You are a tick down from the best guys in the world. It’s not fun pitching when you are not feeling too good. I want to be 100 percent when I’m out there.’’
Shields to pitch second game
A day after naming left- hander Jose Quintana as his Opening Day starter, manager Rick Renteria laid out the first four pitchers of the starting rotation.
Right- hander James Shields, left- hander Derek Holland and right- hander Miguel Gonzalez will follow Quintana. The fifth starter is to be determined because Rodon is in limbo.
Renteria revealed the order by nicknames.
‘‘ I have Q, Shieldsy, Dutch, Gonzo and the last one was going to be ’ Los,’’ he said.
With a day off after the season opener April 3 against the Tigers at Guaranteed Rate Field, one option would be to bring back Quintana for the fifth game April 8 against the Twins.
Shields and Holland would face the Tigers on April 5 and 6, and Gonzalez would face the Twins on April 7. Rule 5 draft pick Dylan Covey, who threw 3⅔ scoreless innings Saturday against the Indians, is one of the contenders to fill in while Rodon is out, Renteria said.