Activate the White Sox Reynaldo Lopez to kick off tonight’s game against rival Cubs, per MLB.com Scott Merkin (via Twitter). To make room on the grid, outfielder Nicky Delmonico has been selected for the team’s alternative training site in Schaumberg, by Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.
Lopez made this start one season before spending the next 25 days on the injured list with right shoulder pain. He recorded just two outs while delivering three hits and a few walks. Lopez, 26, has been a stiff as unspectacular presence in the Chicago rotation for the past two seasons. After a strong 2018, he took a step back last season, a total of a record of 17-25 and 4.64 ERA / 4.83 FIP over those two seasons.
Lopez is going fast (95.4 mph on his four-seater last year), and despite a low speed, his heater has above-average side-to-side movement. He is heavily dependent on the heater, throws it close to 60% of the time, and his secondary pitches (a shift and slider) have not reached the level of consistency that the White Sox would likely prefer a rotary arm. However, Lopez could find his place of rotation for the foreseeable future if he can return to form.
Delmonico has been a regular roster presence for the past three seasons, but the emergence of Eloy Jimenez en Luis Robert have put a pressure on the outside field. The 27-year-old has slowly started this year with a triple slash of .150 / .227 / .150 over 22 plate appearances. Adam Engel en Luis Gonzalez stay on the active roster as spare outfielders.
