South Side Sox Player of the Week (ending March 28): Carlos Rodón

With nine innings pitched in Cactus League play, Carlos Rodón’s stats read like a carton of eggs.

ERA? 1.32. Walks? 1. Wild pitches? 0. That’s not to mention Rodón’s 16 strikeouts, which already surpass his 2020 showing. A change in his pitch delivery has made some of the difference, but the most important changes have been happening up in his noggin.

Up until now, it’s been an unsteady couple of years for Rodón. Sitting out with a shoulder injury in 2018, followed by Tommy John surgery in 2019, and then being non-tendered by the White Sox last December would be enough to demoralize any ballplayer.

But sometimes, and it seems so for Carlos Rodón, a kick in the ass can be just the right motivating medicine.

Two months after being dropped by the Sox, he was picked back up and given a second chance on a one-year, $3 million contract. This kicked off a cold war competition between Rodón and Reynaldo López for the fifth starter slot, providing added incentive to make a strong showing. Now that the scrappy battle between the two pitchers has come to a decisive end, Rodón has one season to make a case for himself.

He’s off to a solid start, and if he can stay healthy, he may have a future with the White Sox yet.

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