Cooper on the Sox pitching outlook:

 

https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/white-sox...018/c-264580588

Not exactly an encouraging report:

 

"The course he's got is work your [butt] off, rehab, get yourself in top shape, take care of that shoulder. Get on the throwing program and hopefully you can build up from the throwing program to sidelines to games to innings and to pitches and to back in Chicago."

 

He's on the dreaded "there's no timetable for his return" it appears. Sox do not expect him to be ready by April.

Edited January 12, 20188 yr by chitownsportsfan

Not exactly an encouraging report:

 

 

 

He's on the dreaded "there's no timetable for his return" it appears. Sox do not expect him to be ready by April.

Realistically he will likely be ready by June the earliest. I wouldn't be surprised if they wait as long as August to get him going. There is no reason to rush him back in a developmental season in which the 2018 campaign will most definitely be. Hopefully Fulmer can take advantage of this opportunity and turn some heads this year. This is a very important year for him .

Realistically he will likely be ready by June the earliest. I wouldn't be surprised if they wait as long as August to get him going. There is no reason to rush him back in a developmental season in which the 2018 campaign will most definitely be. Hopefully Fulmer can take advantage of this opportunity and turn some heads this year. This is a very important year for him .

 

Personally I think his career as a TOR starter is over. I don't trust what the Sox are selling about the surgery. I think he'll probably be a reliever by the time he's on his first FA deal. It looked like a great pick at the time but I don't think it's going to work out for the Sox or Rodon how they expected.

Personally I think his career as a TOR starter is over. I don't trust what the Sox are selling about the surgery. I think he'll probably be a reliever by the time he's on his first FA deal. It looked like a great pick at the time but I don't think it's going to work out for the Sox or Rodon how they expected.

 

His agent is Boras though. I find it hard to believe he'll accept a demotion to a reliever role unless it's performance based.

 

Even a 4th starter coming off TJ typically makes more then a middle or 7th inning reliever.

So basically if Cooper said anything other than Rodon is currently fine and throwing 98, this article shows he's pretty much done.

He also says,

 

"I personally believe this is just an obstacle put in his way and we are going to take care of that obstacle and help him in any way we can," said Cooper. "He is going to resume his career and continue on the path of trying to be as good as you can be.

He also says,

Clearly means him getting up to 88 again is a long shot. Read between the lines.

Considering you told all of us before his last injury that it was nothing to worry about and you just assumed it wasn’t serious, this seems like a weird sword to die on.

You'll see. He actually was throwing 98 with the injury.

 

What Cooper said is right in line with what we all were told at the time of the injury. Now Rodon is screwed.

Edited January 12, 20188 yr by Dick Allen

If Rodon refined fastball command he could top out at 92 and be a TOR starter with his slider.

Anytime a pitcher has shoulder surgery and misses most of two seasons there is a non zero chance his career is irrevocably altered for the worse. Rodon is relatively young and the Sox obviously have a great record at rehabbing pitchers and keeping them as healthy as you possibly can -- but shoulder surgery and missing almost two years is what it is. It's not good and expecting him to come back 100% is naive imo.

If Rodon refined fastball command he could top out at 92 and be a TOR starter with his slider.

 

As we saw with Danks, it's not just diminished velocity it's also diminished control and command. I honestly don't think he can be effective at 92, his fastball command was horse s*** even before he was hurt.