Rodon is the leading candidate to start Opening Day in Kansas City on Mar. 28, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
After a delayed start in 2018 due to his recovery from shoulder surgery, Rodon pitched like an ace for much of the summer. The left-hander went 5-0 with a 1.84 ERA and .151 batting-average against over nine starts between July 5 and Aug. 27, but Rodon fell apart in six September starts (1-5, 9.22 ERA). There were underlying numbers to indicate his summer stretch was unsustainable -- .176 BABIP, 3.90 FIP, 4.77 xFIP, 3.8 BB/9 -- but that horrible September is not an accurate picture. The White Sox are anxious to see how the 26-year-old performs from March to September, given Rodon's full offseason of health.