The White Sox telegraphed the move when they used Hector Noesi in the eighth inning of Monday's game, but they made it official before tonight's game:
Carlos Rodon is in the rotation for the foreseeable future.
Rick Hahn gave reporters the rundown:
Rick Hahn announces that Carlos Rodon is being transitioned into #WhiteSox rotation, incl. Fri.
— Dan Hayes (@CSNHayes) May 12, 2015
Carlos Rodon's transition to rotation begins Friday in Oakland. White Sox have mapped out schedule for breaks into July to manage innings.
— Colleen Kane (@ChiTribKane) May 12, 2015
Hahn on Carlos Rodon joining White Sox rotation. http://t.co/4ENxHw4ilJ via @youtube
— Daryl Van Schouwen (@CST_soxvan) May 12, 2015
Sounds like still some spot starts for Hector Noesi in future, too. #WhiteSox
— Dan Hayes (@CSNHayes) May 12, 2015
And it's the right time to do so, since the White Sox are five games under .500. Rodon might not be an insta-savior, but the bullpen wasn't a natural fit for him, and he's better than Noesi as a starter. It fits both the player and the team.
While the 2014 version of Noesi pitched effectively enough around the homers to occupy a back-end role, this year's Noesi gave up homers AND failed to pitch efficiently. He walked 11 in 16 innings, leading to a team-worst 20 pitches per inning (Jose Quintana is the closest ... at 18).
Rodon's imprecision may mean he'll have his share of short starts, but he stands a better chance of making those innings worth something, limited as they may be.