Lopez allowed two runs on five hits while striking out one over two innings against the Reds on Wednesday.
In his first Cactus League start, Lopez gave up four hits to the first five batters faced -- two of them bloop singles -- but avoided serious damage. Eugenio Suarez was thrown out at third base, and Lopez picked off Yasiel Puig at second base. He followed up with a scoreless second inning, allowing one hit and getting three conventional outs. He's projected third in the rotation, but could eventually move up. "Command of the breaking ball for him would be good. His fastball command has been consistent, and he knows how to elevate. The secondary pitches would be the ones to focus on," manager Rick Renteria responded when asked what Lopez needs to do to become a No. 1 or 2 starter. The right-hander was the White Sox's most consistent starter from April to September in 2018, although there were some growing pains. The 25-year-old Lopez finished 7-10 with a 3.91 ERA and walked 75 batters (10th in MLB) over 188.2 innings.