Rookie left-hander Noah Schultz will be out of the White Sox’ rotation while he undergoes treatment for right knee patellar tendinitis.
The Sox announced Tuesday before their game against the Twins at Rate Field that Schultz, 22, was put on the 15-day injured list. The move is retroactive to Monday.
Manager Will Venable said the Sox hope Schultz’s stay on the IL will be “minimal,” but he didn’t project a specific timeframe.
In a corresponding move, the Sox recalled right-hander David Sandlin from Triple-A Charlotte and said he’ll start against the Twins on Wednesday in his major-league debut.
Meanwhile, the Sox were hoping right-hander Sean Burke could get back on track Tuesday night in a key early-season meeting with the Twins, who had won four straight and six of seven before lefty Anthony Kay and the Sox beat them 3-1 in the series opener Monday. The Sox entered the evening
27-26, 1½ games ahead of the third-place Twins (26-28) in the American League Central.
Schultz’s condition has bothered him before, causing discomfort around the kneecap on his landing leg as he throws off the mound. A native of west suburban Oswego and the Sox’ tallest player at 6-11, he made his big-league debut in a start April 14 against the visiting Rays and is 2-4 with a 5.82 ERA in eight starts so far.
“It’s something that he’s dealt with in the past, and [we] just want to make sure that we get him healthy and on the right track so it’s not something that’s continuing to bother him,” Venable said.
Schultz said the knee issue, which has been “nagging for about a week or so,” began last season in the minors while he was splitting time between Charlotte and Double-A Birmingham.
It might have shown in his major-league outings this season — maybe even a little earlier than he suggested. In his first four starts, he was 2-1 with a 2.53 ERA and 21 strikeouts and 12 walks over 21 „ innings. Over his last four starts, he’s 0-3 with a 9.87 ERA, 13 strikeouts and 10 walks in 17 „ innings.
Schultz was sharpest in his fourth start May 1 in San Diego, where he allowed no runs and just two hits over six innings. He threw 87 pitches, 53 for strikes, struck out two and walked three as the Sox beat the Padres 8-2.
Asked if discomfort in the knee may have affected Schultz’s recent performances, Venable acknowledged “that’s fair.”
“You know, he has been working so hard and is in a good spot with his mechanics and how he’s being going about it,” Venable said. “You understand, especially [with] something that has affected his ability to throw strikes in the past, that that could be impacting him here recently. [That’s] another reason why I want to be mindful of the injury and the pain and make sure we can eliminate that and get him back out there.”
Schultz is confident the condition can be addressed conservatively by the Sox’ training and medical staffs. He stopped short of predicting when he’d return to the rotation.
“It’s just something gradual,” he said after some long toss in the outfield Tuesday. “It’s definitely pretty mild, but again, it’s just something that’s lingered a little bit. [We’re] trying to catch it before it gets worse and [get it] cleared up. It’s still early in the season. Just trying to get it to go away.”
While undergoing treatment, Schultz still will be able to throw on the side. That includes a scheduled bullpen session later this week.
“We’ll be good to be right back out there,” he said. “Just again catch it again and clear it up so I’m not playing through it.”