Carlos Rodon's second Major League appearance more leisurely

After making his major league debut on April 21, Carlos Rodon returned to the mound for his second appearance with the Chicago White Sox on April 29. Rodon needed 60 pitches to get through 2-1/3 innings during his debut, and he allowed a couple of runs in the process. On Wednesday, though, he was a lot better.

A whole lot more economical. Rodon needed only five pitches to secure three outs, and that includes a strikeout. It was an excellent bounce-back performance, and it occurred in the low-leverage scenario the White Sox would probably prefer for him initially.

The White Sox gave Rodon a major league debut that had plenty of pressure, with multiple players on base, and the game close. His follow-up was not nearly as important. Chicago first threw Rodon into the fire, into a high-leverage situation, asking him to escape a jam with multiple runners on board in a close game. Rodon was given a lefty-lefty matchup with two outs. It was a fine idea.

Again, the thought process was good--give the rook a LOOGY situation. It ended up a mess as Rodon couldn't locate the zone. That night didn't work out great, but it was a first step for Rodon, who was there to sample the fire, make mistakes, and throw hard. If the jitters are out of the way, watch the hell out.