Lopez allowed one run on two hits and two walks while striking out a season-high 12 over seven innings Sunday for Triple-A Charlotte, Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Lopez hasn't allowed more than two runs in any of his last four starts and lowered his season ERA to 3.78. With the White Sox having traded Jose Quintana, they appear to be preparing for 2018. That means getting some of the young hurlers up to Chicago. Manager Rick Renteria acknowledged a "two-pronged test" for calling up a prospect, such as Lopez. Is there an opportunity to take the ball every fifth day? This appears to be the case after trading Quintana. And has the prospect done everything at the minor-league level to prepare for the transition to the majors? The organizational decision-makers are in the process evaluating Lopez, Lucas Giolito and Carson Fulmer for their readiness for the big leagues.