When Lance Lynn got tossed from his Aug. 18 start against Oakland because he tossed his belt at an umpire, he said that the delayed midgame foreign-substance inspection prevented him from making it to the trainer's room in a timely manner. When asked about what required a visit to the trainer, he said, ‘‘See you in five days."
Lynn made two starts since then. One was a gem against Toronto, albeit one where he was pulled after just 86 pitches and seven innings. The other was a struggle against the Cubs, which he explained with multiple usages of the word "suck."
But the White Sox assigned a specific body part to Lynn's issues, placing him on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Aug. 29 with right knee inflammation. The White Sox were already carrying nine relievers including Reynaldo López and Mike Wright, so the White Sox replaced him with Danny Mendick from Charlotte.
This has the makings of a strategic rest, as the White Sox have two off days this week and one on Monday. Lynn could've been skipped without making a roster swap, but the White Sox get a little more bench flexibility out of the deal, both now and the first week of September roster expansion.
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Tony La Russa said he expects Lynn to miss a minimum amount of time. López will take Lynn's start on Saturday, with Dallas Keuchel pitching on Friday. If nothing else, it underscores why there's value in trying to get Dallas Keuchel back on track, because there are several weeks between now and October, and the rotation may not be a matter of Keuchel or López, but and.
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On the latest episode of the Sox Machine Podcast, Josh and I tried to assign Cy Young finishes to Lynn, Carlos Rodón, Lucas Giolito and Dylan Cease. I had Lynn in third behind Gerrit Cole and Robbie Ray because both have every incentive to take every start, whether due to their team's postseason positioning or personal glory. With the White Sox holding a 10-game lead in the AL Central, there's less incentive for Lynn and the other White Sox starters to make every appearance between now and the end of the season, especially if it stands a legitimate chance of hampering their effectiveness afterward.
As for other White Sox injury issues, La Russa provided a summary:
(Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/USA TODAY Sports)
