Tim Anderson missed his second straight start Monday due right shoulder soreness, the severity of which is believed to be minor.
“It’s not too bad,” as manager Pedro Grifol said,
For Anderson, getting a short break to freshen up physically and perhaps mentally as well might be a good thing. He was batting .250 with no home runs. He had two hits in his last 22 at-bats.
Anderson has been more subdued, less the energizer than he has been, perhaps in part because of a knee injury in April that sidelined him for three weeks after he was off to a good start, and his lack of production since then. He also shared on a podcast last week about challenges in his marriage and family life.
“Well, you have to manage life and life sometimes throws different things at you,” Grifol said Monday. “Nobody in life is going to go without facing adversity. That’s just the way it is. When players face adversity you have to be there for them and I’m there for him. I’m the one guy who is constantly telling him, ‘You’re good. You’re going to find this thing.’ It could be one swing tonight, all of a sudden you’re going to find it and take off. He believes that as well, which is great.”
There are virtually no concerns about Anderson’s shoulder.
“He’s actually OK,” Grifol said. “He’s day to day, reports were good. He’s still a little sore. So I’ll check with him after the game, after the round of treatments, see what we’ll do [Tuesday].”
General manager Rick Hahn said there’s no reason Anderson, when he’s back feeling healthy, “can’t return to being that igniter at the top of our order and a stabilizer on defense for us.”
Gonzalez to IL, Rodriguez recalled
Infielder Romy Gonzalez landed on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation and Double-A infielder Jose Rodriguez was recalled.
Rodriguez, 22, figures to be a bench player before he returns to the minors. He was hitting .238/.274/.429 with nine homers, nine doubles, 25 RBI and 26 runs scored over 44 games with Birmingham this season.
Lynn on Bereavement, Padilla recalled
Right-hander Lance Lynn went on the Bereavement List and was replaced on the roster by right-hander Nick Padilla from Triple-A Charlotte. The Sox started Tanner Banks in a bullpen game Monday, and Padilla made his second appearance of the season in relief, allowing four base runners but striking out three in 1 2⁄3 innings. Lynn, who tied the franchise record of 16 strikeouts in a 5-1 loss at Seattle Sunday, will return in time for his next start.
This and that
Top shortstop prospect Colson Montgomery, sidelined since spring training with a back injury, started playing in Arizona and could join an affiliate in about two weeks, Hahn said.
*Hahn said Mike Clevinger could return as soon as his 15-day IL stay with biceps inflammation is over, “assuming he doesn’t have any recurrence or issues.”