Mistakes are going to happen over the course of 85 pitches, which was Lopez's total in the series opener. But you have to accept those mistakes.

Transcription

1 WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF SEPTEMBER 2, 2017 Lopez displays composure in return from DL Scott Merkin, MLB.com Lopez solid, but Snell stymies White Sox in loss Scott Merkin and Fabian Ardaya, MLB.com Hahn not worried about other AL Central deals Scott Merkin, MLB.com Fulmer recalled to Majors as rosters expand Scott Merkin, MLB.com Rodon eyes early-inning success vs. Rays Fabian Ardaya, MLB.com White Sox promote Carson Fulmer from Triple-A but role remains uncertain Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago Why the White Sox are willing to gamble on prospects like Ti'Quan Forbes and Casey Gillaspie Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago Why Reynaldo Lopez was able to rebound after a pair of early mistakes in Friday's loss Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago White Sox reinstate Reynaldo Lopez from DL, add 2 others to staff Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune Deals done, for now, Rick Hahn 'pleased' with progress of White Sox rebuild Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune Jose Abreu misses second straight game as White Sox fall 3-1 to Rays Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune White Sox bring up Fulmer, Holmberg from AAA Charlotte Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times GM Rick Hahn says White Sox beginning next phase of rebuild Tom Musick, Chicago Sun-Times Back from disabled list, White Sox Reynaldo Lopez loses but learns Tom Musick, Chicago Sun-Times Logan Morrison, Blake Snell lead Rays over White Sox 3-1 John Jackson, Associated Press Lopez looks good for Chicago White Sox in return Scot Gregor, Daily Herald White Sox still determining their plan for Carson Fulmer this September James Fegan, The Athletic Reynaldo Lopez flashes the goods in first start back from injury James Fegan, The Athletic Lopez displays composure in return from DL Right-hander retires final 11 Rays hitters en route to quality start By Scott Merkin / MLB.com September 1, 2017 CHICAGO -- White Sox starter Reynaldo Lopez took an approach that is mature beyond his years after allowing a two-run home run in the first inning to Logan Morrison during the White Sox 3-1 loss on Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mistakes are going to happen over the course of 85 pitches, which was Lopez's total in the series opener. But you have to accept those mistakes. "You have to keep moving forward, because that pitch is already made. There's nothing you can do," Lopez said through interpreter Billy Russo. "That's what I tried to do. Just kept my focus on the game and tried to get the next batter out." Lopez allowed three runs on five hits over six innings, striking out a season-high seven in his return from the disabled list. The right-hander retired the last 11 Rays batters he faced, a streak beginning after Morrison's RBI single in the third, leaving the young hurler a bit frustrated. "He kept coming back out there and kind of settling down, feeling more comfortable as the game progressed," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "He was able to minimize the damage and keep us in the ballgame." That streak also featured Lopez pitching out of a first-and-third, one-out jamin the third, striking out Steven Souza Jr. and retiring Corey Dickerson on a fly ball to center. "Other than a couple pitches that ended up being up, I thought he did a nice job after two weeks of being down," Renteria said. "He didn't look bad, didn't look bad." "Every time you're able to go out there and pitch, you're gaining experience," Lopez said. "Then you know how to make better pitches, how to execute your plan, how to have success. What I'm trying to do is get more experience and to be able to execute it."

2 According to Statcast, Lopez threw 53 fastballs, 22 changeups and 10 curveballs. Both his fastball and curveball induced seven swings and misses, and his heater averaged 94.3 mph, topping out at Renteria and his staff targeted six innings and 85 pitches for Lopez before he returned to the mound. The White Sox will extend him out a little more in his next start Wednesday against the American League Central-leading Indians. "I felt strong. I felt like I could be efficient," Lopez said. "But I also have to understand I'm just coming off a DL stint and they want to protect me. You, as a player, have to understand that, and I was OK." Lopez solid, but Snell stymies White Sox in loss By Scott Merkin and Fabian Ardaya / MLB.com September 2, 2017 CHICAGO -- Blake Snell continued his run of consistency, working at least six innings in his fifth straight start, as the Rays claimed a 3-1 victory over the White Sox Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field. The victory pushed the Rays back to.500 at and marked the fourth straight loss for the White Sox. Tampa Bay, which matched its 2016 win total with the victory, moved within three games of the Twins for the second American League Wild Card spot with Minnesota's loss on Friday night. Snell yielded one unearned run over 6 2/3 innings, allowing six hits, walking one and striking out one. He was helped by three double plays, all going from shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria to second baseman Brad Miller to first baseman Logan Morrison. "[There are] still things I need to freshen up, clean up," Snell said. "But yeah, I feel confident in what I'm doing right now and just trying to continue that. I've been getting in a rhythm with [catcher] Wilson [Ramos] so well, and it's just working really well right now." "He induced quite a few double plays against us," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "We had a couple of chances. I thought all in all, we grinded out as best as we could today." Morrison supplied all the offense the Rays needed in the first inning, connecting for a two-out, two-run homer on a hanging changeup from White Sox starter Reynaldo Lopez. Morrison's 34th home run on the season also gave him a homer in four of the last five games and five homers in total during that time. He added a run-scoring single in the third. Logan Morrison hammers a two-run home run to right-center field to give the Rays a 2-0 lead in the top of the 1st inning Lopez made his third start for the White Sox, his first since Aug. 17 when he was sidelined by a back strain. The righthander struck out seven and induced seven swings and misses on both his fastball and changeup. He walked one and gave up three runs on five hits in six innings. "I felt good today," Lopez said through interpreter Billy Russo. "I did what I usually do and I did it since the beginning and I think I had a good game. I felt very good." The Rays improved to 4-1 in Snell's last five starts after starting the season 4-10 in the southpaw's first 14 outings. In 12 of those first 14 starts, Snell pitched fewer than six innings. "He was able to limit damage," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "All those little things are signs of a lot of good things. I don't know if Blake was doing that two months ago, three months ago." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Hechavarria's got the hop: The White Sox got some traffic against Snell while trailing 3-1 in the fifth, putting a pair on after Evan Longoria's error and a Yolmer Sanchez single. White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson, who doubled in his previous atbat, laced a low liner mph, per Statcast, which seemed destined to bring home a run. Hechavarria moved to his left at shortstop, snared the tough short hop and flipped it to Miller to start an inning-ending double play. "The sharp one-hopper, he makes everything look easy," Cash said. "Those are not easy plays. He's just so agile, puts his body and his hands in such good position to be able to not only catch it, but be in a good spot to get a good feed to Brad." "It's not easy," Hechavarria said. "Everyone tells me that, but nothing is easy. It's everything. Quick hands, quick feet."

3 Shortstop on Shortstop Crime: Hechavarria started another inning-ending double-play in the sixth, but his next highlight came with Anderson at the plate in the seventh. With the bases loaded and two outs in a two-run game and Steve Cishek on the mound, Anderson lined one up the middle -- with an exit velocity of 91.7 mph and hit probability of 83 percent according to Statcast -- that Hechavarria was able to snag to end the inning. "You kind of understand what kind of game we're playing," Anderson said. "Same if you hit a ball hard and get out, sometime you hit something off the end of the bat and get on. You just stay learning, and I accept it. It is what it is." QUOTABLE "If that ball gets through, one or two steps left, two steps right, it's a different ballgame." -- Renteria, on Anderson's inningending lineout with the bases loaded in the seventh EARLY EXIT FOR LEURY Leury Garcia left in the fifth inning due to a right hand contusion and is listed as day to day. Renteria said Garcia reaggravated the injury while taking swings during batting practice. The ensuing changes led to Omar Narvaez taking over at first base, marking Narvaez's first career appearance at first. WHAT'S NEXT Road team: Chris Archer will take the bump for the 7:10 p.m. ET start against the White Sox on Saturday, as he looks to continue a roll of seven quality starts in nine appearances since the All-Star break. He allowed two runs in seven innings in a loss to Chicago on June 6. White Sox: Carlos Rodon is scheduled to make his 12th start of the season since returning from the disabled list on 6/28, with first pitch set for 6:10 p.m. CT. Rodon allowed five runs over five innings while striking out four in his last start against the Tigers, but he still has a 3.07 ERA over his last six starts. Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.TV. Hahn not worried about other AL Central deals By Scott Merkin / MLB.com September 1, 2017 CHICAGO -- The future of the American League Central took an interesting but somewhat expected turn Thursday night when the Tigers entered rebuilding mode by trading Justin Upton and Justin Verlander. But White Sox general manager Rick Hahn isn't worried about the other teams within his division as the South Siders' rebuild continues. Part of that internal focus comes from the club's rebuild having a greater goal than simply winning the AL Central. "We need to get our own house in order first," Hahn said. "We need to build what is a championship caliber club at the big league level and a championship caliber organization behind it. "How our division fits into that will sort of move how high of the bar is in terms of getting into the postseason, but ultimately our goals are about winning a championship. Regardless of how good, bad or indifferent our competition might be within the division, we have to be good enough to beat anybody in baseball." Achieving that championship goal has taken a significant step forward, albeit still in the early stages, through talent acquisition beginning last December with the trades of Chris Sale to Boston and Adam Eaton to Washington. This season's phase of the process came to a close Thursday night when right-hander Miguel Gonzalez was sent to the Rangers for infield prospect Ti'Quan Forbes. Hahn was surprised the market wasn't more robust for a quality pitcher and person such as Gonzalez. He also understood teams already viewing themselves as playoff-bound might not see Gonzalez as one of their three rotation arms set for the postseason. Teams chasing a Wild Card spot might not necessarily want to give up long-term assets for a playoff proposition. "Ultimately, we were able to get an interesting prospect back with some upside that our amateur scouts had liked back in 2014 and our pro scouts continued to believe he has some potential, and he just needs some repetition and takes some time," Hahn said. "It all worked out well for Miguel in the end. He has the opportunity to potentially win and we were able to add another potentially intriguing bat to the organization."

4 As Hahn presides over one of the game's top Minor League systems, he's pleased with the rebuild progress made by the organization. "When we set off down this path, we were ambitious. We knew we were in a position that was different from a lot of clubs that headed down this path," Hahn said. "We knew we had some premium assets at the big league level that we were likely going to move. "So we were very ambitious in terms of our expectations about what we were going to be able to bring back. The fact that the plan -- via trade, via the most recent draft, via [signing Cuban prospect] Luis Robert -- has all come together very close to how we envisioned it. I don't want to say it's surprising, because you want to be able to hit your marks, but we're very pleased we've been able to hit our marks." Fulmer recalled to Majors as rosters expand Lefty reliever Holmberg brought up to White Sox for September By Scott Merkin / MLB.com September 1, 2017 CHICAGO -- Carson Fulmer, the No. 11 White Sox prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, was one of two September callups made prior to Friday's series opener with the Rays at Guaranteed Rate Field. Left-hander David Holmberg also was added to the roster from Triple-A Charlotte. Fulmer allowed six runs in 1 1/3 innings in a 10-2 loss to the Twins on Aug. 21 as the 26th man getting the start in Game 2 of a doubleheader before returning to Charlotte. He also posted a 7-9 record with a 5.79 ERA over 25 starts this season for the Knights, stats below the level of success he has grown accustomed to. But that didn't dampen Fulmer's confidence. "I had a really good start [to the season]. I kind of had a couple of rough patches in the middle of the year. I think I've been pitching pretty well," Fulmer said. "I feel like I've been executing the way I've been wanting to. I'm ready to have success here and capture the opportunity." "We thought it was important to get Carson back here to get him working with [pitching coach Don Cooper] and [bullpen coach Curt Hasler]," White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. "We felt getting him more innings over the course of the 2017 season [in the Minors] and then again getting tested at this level will benefit his development in the long term." Hahn spoke of using Fulmer in a variety of different ways over the final month of the season, mixing bullpen work with a potential start or two. The White Sox have Tuesday's starter against Cleveland listed as TBA, which could turn into Fulmer. "Anything that we can do to continue to help him improve and still fit some of the roles that we'll need moving forward over the last month of the season," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said of his plans for Fulmer. "It will hopefully be a good time for him to be here with us." "You want to come here and you want to do well and help us win," Fulmer said. "That's the main thing; slowing things down and really just try to get as much experience as I can." Moncada on the mend Don't expect Yoan Moncada, baseball's No. 1 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, to come off the disabled list when he is eligible on Monday. The second baseman has been sidelined by a bone contusion on his right shin. "He's starting baseball activities over the course of this weekend," Hahn said. "Hopefully some point over the course of this homestand, we will be able to set a date when he's going to be ready." The same can be said of Nicky Delmonico, who was placed on the DL on Aug. 26 with a sprained right wrist. "I also don't think we are going to activate him right when he's eligible," Hahn said. "Hopefully over the course of this homestand, we will be able to get him back active, too." More to come?

5 Another couple Minor League additions could be joining the White Sox after the Charlotte and Double-A Birmingham seasons come to a close. Both clubs conclude on Sept. 4. Rodon eyes early-inning success vs. Rays By Fabian Ardaya / MLB.com September 1, 2017 Rays right-hander Chris Archer finds himself in a new role this September as the ace of a club in the thick of a postseason chase. His first September start of 2017 comes Saturday, as he faces the White Sox and left-hander Carlos Rodon. Archer, who was 24 and in his second big league season when he made his postseason debut in 2013, now leads the Rays' rotation. Tampa Bay enters Saturday's game three games back of the Twins for the second AL Wild Card spot. This season has been a strong turnaround for the Rays, who matched their 2016 win total on Friday with their 68th victory. "It's progress," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Last year was a frustrating year." Archer has posted quality starts in 11 of his last 12 outings. He's been generating a lot of whiffs, with seven or more strikeouts in 10 of his last 11 outings. He allowed one run over seven innings with eight K's against the Cardinals on Sunday. Rodon will toe the rubber for the White Sox. The southpaw was in the midst of a fantastic five-start stretch, during which he had a 2.25 ERA, before allowing five runs in five innings in his last start on Aug. 26 against the Tigers. The lefty, who has dealt with command issues in the early innings, decided to alter his routine by warming up earlier before his last start against Detroit. But after another shaky start, he was unable to turn it around. Three things to know about the game The White Sox held out first baseman Jose Abreu for the second consecutive game on Friday with a right elbow injury. White Sox manager Rick Renteria said it was a precaution, and that he will have a better gauge on him before Saturday's game. "He's going to try to do a few things today," Renteria said. "I told him don't do anything to aggravate it. I'll have a better feel after ballgame and certainly tomorrow. I see it as a very short-term thing." Cash said he's not worried about his club, which is capping off a nine-game road trip, taking its foot of the pedal against the last-place White Sox. "This team -- I know what their record is," Cash said. "We've been in a similar situation. It's a young team, guys are getting opportunities to play, and when you get those opportunities, you see a team come together, and they're hungry to do good things." Rays closer Alex Colome converted his 41th save of the season on Friday, giving him a five-save lead for most in the Majors. He would be the first Rays closer to lead the league in saves, and he's seven off of Fernando Rodney's franchise record of 48 set in White Sox promote Carson Fulmer from Triple-A but role remains uncertain By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago September 1, 2017 Miguel Gonzalez is gone, Carson Fulmer and Reynaldo Lopez are back and the White Sox still aren t 100 percent certain what shape their rotation will take. Lopez is pitching for the White Sox on Friday night to fill the vacancy created by the Gonzalez trade and it appears Fulmer will get at least a few turns in the next month, perhaps as soon as Tuesday night. But the White Sox intend to be fluid with how they ll handle their starters over the next month and still have veterans Derek Holland and Mike Pelfrey at their disposal. Fulmer and pitcher David Holmberg were the only players added to the active roster on Friday but general manager Rick Hahn said there could be a few more en route when the minor league season ends on Sunday. We are still talking about how we are going to use these guys, Hahn said. We thought it was important to get Carson back here to get him working with Coop and Has. We may use him in a variety of different ways. It s possible he gets a

6 start or two along the stretch or it s possible we use him exclusively out of the pen. We still need to go through the specific plan going into next week for each of the guys coming. After he spent a month in the majors last season, Fulmer has been limited to one Aug. 21 start this season and gave up six earned runs in 1 1/3 innings. He s spent the rest of the season at Triple-A Charlotte, going 7-9 with a 5.79 ERA in 25 starts. Included in those totals are 65 walks in 126 innings and 96 strikeouts. But Fulmer had a great first month, posting a 2.72 ERA through his first seven starts before he began to struggle. I had a really good start, Fulmer said. I kind of had a couple of rough patches in the middle of the year. I think I ve been pitching pretty well. I had a couple of unfortunate things happen in my outings, but as a pitcher you can t complain about those things. I feel like I ve been executing the way I ve been wanting to. I m ready to have success here and capture the opportunity. Fulmer said he wasn t sure of his role. Manager Rick Renteria thinks Fulmer would benefit no matter how he s used. It will hopefully be a good time for him to be here with us, Renteria said. We'll see if we can get some things sorted out. We'll continue to work that through as we move forward here in the next couple of days. Why the White Sox are willing to gamble on prospects like Ti'Quan Forbes and Casey Gillaspie By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago September 1, 2017 The record Powerball prize may have been given away last month, but Rick Hahn and the White Sox are still buying lottery tickets. While the prized prospects have received the bulk of the headlines during the rebuild, the White Sox have recently quietly collected many low-risk, high-reward players. Ti quan Forbes is the latest lottery ticket-type prospect to be acquired by the White Sox. A 2014 second-round draft pick turned struggling minor leaguer, Forbes was obtained from the Texas Rangers on Thursday night in exchange for starting pitcher Miguel Gonzalez. During the 2017 season, the White Sox also traded for first-rounder Casey Gillaspie and claimed first-rounder D.J. Peterson and former touted prospect Alen Hanson off waivers. Given their success with similar moves in the past and the opportunity for playing time they have readily available, the White Sox aren t afraid to gamble again. You re not always going to be able to acquire the guy who s got the fantastic, loud tools as well as the outstanding track record of performance, general manager Rick Hahn said. That s the ideal. You want to be able to check all the boxes. There are going to be times where we re betting on a performance that out-straps the tools to continue, and there s going to be times where you need to bet on the tools that haven t quite translated in the performance that ultimately, through repetition and improvement, translate into a good performance. A free agent after this season, Gonzalez wasn t going to bring back a heavy return. Not only does Gonzalez not have the shiny qualities of some of the higher-end assets moved ahead of him, but he s a rental player to boot. While Gonzalez still possesses value, the White Sox could either take a less-talented player who has performed in the minors or a more toolsy prospect who just hasn t panned out. Forbes, who turned 21 on Saturday, is the latter. He was ranked as the No. 50 overall prospect in the 2014 draft by MLB.com but has struggled to perform since he turned pro. Forbes has a.634 OPS in his minor league career, a figure that dropped to.588 at Advanced-A this season. But that won t prevent the White Sox from taking the shot. The White Sox did the same when they took Gillaspie back for Dan Jennings from the Tampa Bay Rays in July. Coming off a 2016 campaign in which he was the organization s minor league player of the year, Gillaspie struggled at Triple-A Durham with a.671 OPS entering Friday, down from.869 last season. (Forbes) was the one of the youngest kids in the 2014 draft, Hahn said. We knew he was extremely raw and was going to take some time. He has second-round pedigree. Peterson and Gillaspie were first-round guys, but it s the same kind of element. There s a reason these guys had that draft stock that they did at the time, and that s because of their tools. The reason they re available now perhaps is because they haven t lived up quite yet from a performance standpoint, and we ve got an opportunity here for our player development staff and a change of scene to perhaps hopefully unlock a little bit of that potential. The White Sox have had some success with similar moves in the past.

7 Most recently Tommy Kahnle developed from a hard-throwing pitcher who couldn t find the plate into an unstoppable force and was the key to the deal that brought Blake Rutherford back from the New York Yankees. Hahn also cited previous success with Gavin Floyd and Matt Thornton. It s not as if the White Sox are the only team willing to take these risks -- they re quite commonplace. But one advantage they do have is an abundance of opportunity. It s not a unique play necessarily that we re doing, Hahn said. But certainly in some of the major deals that we did, the goal was to get that well-rounded player, the well-rounded prospect, the one where the tools and the subjective analysis matched with performance and the objective side of evaluating a player. As we ve moved toward some of these later deals, we knew you weren t going to get that perfect mix coming back, you were going to have to take some bets either on the tools or the performance translating to the big-league level. Why Reynaldo Lopez was able to rebound after a pair of early mistakes in Friday's loss By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago September 1, 2017 When he rebounded without a second thought Friday, Reynaldo Lopez displayed one of the primary reasons why he s one of the more advanced White Sox prospects. Temporarily frustrated when the Tampa Bay Rays Logan Morrison beat him for the second time, Lopez quickly regained his composure and avoided letting a third-inning rally spiral out of control. Making his first start after two weeks on the disabled list, Lopez looked strong overall, particularly when he bounced back from a pair of early mistakes and finished by retiring 11 straight hitters. The White Sox fell to the Rays 3-1 at Guaranteed Rate Field in spite of six efficient innings from Lopez, who struck out seven. It s the kind of performance the White Sox believe Lopez will be able to replicate in large part because of his maturity on the mound. Sometimes you make mistakes and you have to understand that it s a mistake, you have to accept it, Lopez said through an interpreter. At the same time, you have to keep moving forward because that pitch is already made, there s nothing you can do. That s what I tried to do, just kept my focus on the game and tried to get the next batter out. Lopez hadn t started since Aug. 17 because of a strained back that robbed him of some velocity his last time out. But stuff wasn t an issue for the right-hander on Friday. Lopez touched 97 mph with his fastball in the first inning and threw all three of his pitches with confidence. His execution wasn t there on two pitches in the first three innings and Morrison made him pay for both. Morrison blasted a two-run homer on a first-inning curveball to give Tampa a 2-0 lead. Two innings later, Lopez left a curveball up and Morrison ripped it to right for an RBI single to give the Rays a 3-1 lead. The single had the potential to dampen Lopez s day as it put runners on the corners with one out. But Lopez struck out Steven Souza Jr. and Corey Dickerson flew out to end the threat. After that, Lopez didn t allow a runner to reach base as he retired the side in order in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. He was irritated with himself but he kept working, White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. He kept coming back out there and kind of settling down, feeling more comfortable as the game progressed. He was able to minimize the damage and keep us in the ballgame. Lopez s efficiency also allowed him to go as deep into the game as the White Sox hoped he might. Renteria said the club targeted six innings and 90 pitches as Lopez had been limited to a pair of bullpen sessions the previous five days. Lopez needed only 85 pitches to navigate through six innings with strikes thrown on 59 of his offerings. He allowed three earned runs and five hits with one walk in his third big league start this season. Every time you re able to go out there and pitch, you re gaining experience, Lopez said. Then you know how to make better pitches, how to execute your plan, how to have success. What I m trying to do is get more experience and to be able to execute it. White Sox reinstate Reynaldo Lopez from DL, add 2 others to staff By Chris Kuc / Chicago Tribune September 1, 2017 The White Sox bolstered their pitching staff Friday, including reinstating Reynaldo Lopez off the disabled list and returning the rookie to the starting rotation.

8 The Sox also recalled right-hander Carson Fulmer from Triple-A Charlotte and purchased the contract of left-hander David Holmberg from Charlotte as the major-league roster expanded. Lopez will start for the Sox when they open a three-game series against the Rays on Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field. He had been on the DL since Aug. 19 with a strained back. The 23-year-old is 0-1 with a 6.97 ERA and 12 strikeouts in two starts with the Sox this season after being recalled from the Charlotte on Aug. 11. Fulmer and Holmberg each have had previous stints with the Sox this season and will work out of the bullpen. Friday's game will be the start of a 10-game homesstand for the Sox. Deals done, for now, Rick Hahn 'pleased' with progress of White Sox rebuild By Chris Kuc / Chicago Tribune September 1, 2017 Stage 1 of the White Sox's rebuild is complete and just how successful it was likely won't be determined for a couple of years. With a final deal to send veteran starter Miguel Gonzalez to the Rangers for yet another prospect late Thursday night, general manager Rick Hahn and the Sox cleared this season's significant trade deadlines and the dust has begun to settle on the spate of moves that began with the Dec. 6 blockbuster that sent Chris Sale to the Red Sox. "We did everything in our power to maximize the long-term benefit for the club based upon what we had on hand and what the market was dictating," Hahn said before the Sox faced the Rays on Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field. "There is always another move you envision making, a lot of different ideas we bandy about. We should be pleased with the progress we made over the last nine months." Along with the free-agent signing of Luis Robert and what the Sox believe was a strong draft, Hahn systematically traded veteran after veteran to teams around the majors and brought back an impressive haul of prospects 20 in all. Some of those such as Friday's starter Reynaldo Lopez are already with the Sox and some who are years away. The names read like a who's who of baseball's brightest young talents such as Yoan Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, Michael Kopech, Lucas Giolito, Blake Rutherford, Dylan Cease, Dane Dunning and Casey Gillaspie, among others. "When we set off down this path, we were ambitious," Hahn said. "We knew we had some premium assets at the bigleague level, so we were very ambitious in terms of our expectations about what we were going to be bring back. "We're very pleased we've been able to hit our marks. There was no guarantee. We're pleased with how this first stage went. We know there's more work to do." Count manager Rick Renteria among those pleased with Hahn's efforts thus far. "The men we have acquired in trades are showing tremendous promise as they're developing in the minor leagues," Renteria said. "We're seeing a couple now who have joined us (and) the ones developing in the minor leagues are going (excite fans) somewhere in the near future. "Even when they get here there's a learning curve, there's an adjustment to be made," Renteria added. "We are always hopeful they take hold of things that are going on here and that their talent levels are such that they're able to overcome some lapses and be something very positive for Chicago." Now, there are more players to draft, sign and acquire from other organizations to keep the line moving. It's time for the GM to turn his focus on the Sox's own house during organizational meetings in the next couple of months. "We get a little more focused on preparing for the offseason," Hahn said. "All the transactions in terms of trades have taken place. We will get our thoughts together and set forth our plan for the next steps. "We know despite everything we've done we have a lot of important work ahead of us," Hahn added. "Player development is going to be more and more important... as we get these players closer to the big leagues and reaching their potential."

9 Jose Abreu misses second straight game as White Sox fall 3-1 to Rays By Chris Kuc / Chicago Tribune September 1, 2017 Jose Abreu pleaded his case, but Rick Renteria wouldn't budge. So the White Sox first baseman missed his second consecutive game Friday night with a minor elbow injury. "I had to put my foot down on this one," Renteria said before the Sox opened a 10-game homestand with a 3-1 loss to the Rays. "I send out the lineup to the guys before they get to the ballpark so they know who is playing. (Abreu) came in and voiced his opinion and I voiced mine. The Sox could have used Abreu as the offense was quiet against Rays starter Blake Snell and relievers on a chilly night at Guaranteed Rate Field. Logan Morrison knocked in all three runs for the Rays, including two on a first-inning home run. Rookie right-hander Reynaldo Lopez returned from the disabled list for the Sox and suffered the loss, yielding three runs on five hits with a walk and seven strikeouts in six innings. The rookie settled down after a shaky start and retired his last 11 hitters. "Sometimes you make mistakes and you have to understand that it's a mistake (and) you have to accept it," Lopez said through a team interpreter. "You have to keep moving forward because that pitch is already. That's what I tried to do. (I) just kept my focus on the game and tried to get the next batter out." The Sox, who lost their fourth in a row, scored in the second inning on Morrison's throwing error on an infield single by Leury Garcia. Garcia left the game in the fifth with a bruise on his right hand and is considered day to day. New arrivals: The Sox recalled right-hander Carson Fulmer from Triple-A Charlotte and purchased the contract of lefthander David Holmberg from the Knights as rosters expanded throughout the majors. The 23-year-old Fulmer had an up-and-down season in Charlotte, going 7-9 with a 5.79 ERA in 126 innings. "I've thrown a lot more innings this year than I have in my first two years," Fulmer said. "I'm just trying to stay healthy and, knock on wood, I haven't missed a start... and I feel great. So (I'll) get some more innings in this last month and get that experience moving into next year." Slow progress: Yoan Moncada (leg) and Nicky Delmonico (wrist) remain sidelined, and general manager Rick Hahn said neither rookie will be ready to come off the 10-day disabled list when eligible Sept. 4. Moncada is set to begin baseball activities this weekend while Delmonico, who has been swinging a bat, should increase his. White Sox bring up Fulmer, Holmberg from AAA Charlotte The White Sox reinstated Reynaldo Lopez from the disabled list. Lopez will make his third start Friday night against the visiting Rays. By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times September 1, 2017 The White Sox recalled right-hander Carson Fulmer from Class AAA Charlotte and purchased the contract of left-handed pitcher David Holmberg from Charlotte Friday. As expected, the Sox also reinstated Reynaldo Lopez from the disabled list. Lopez will make his third start for the Sox Friday night against the visiting Rays at Guaranteed Rate Field. He has been on the DL since August 19 with a strained back. Fulmer, 23, served as the 26th man on the active roster for the doubleheader on August 21 against the Twins and struggled in his first major league start, recording only four outs and allowing six runs on four hits and three walks. Fulmer was 7-9 with a 5.79 ERA over 25 starts with Charlotte this season, and it wasn t immediately known if he will pitch out of the bullpen as he did in eight appearances with the Sox in 2016 or get another opportunity to start. Holmberg, 26, was 2-3 with a 3.55 ERA in 33 games including six starts with the Sox this season before being outrighted to Charlotte on August 11.

10 GM Rick Hahn says White Sox beginning next phase of rebuild The Sox front office and coaching staff see September as an opportunity to test young players with an eye toward By Tom Musick / Chicago Sun-Times September 1, 2017 As White Sox general manager Rick Hahn prepared last winter to oversee a long-term rebuilding project, he divided the process into several stages. The first involved trading veterans to contending teams for minor-league prospects. The second focused on player development as those prospects climbed the ranks and reached the big leagues. The mission of the third stage was clear and concise: Compete for championships. On Friday, Hahn said he felt good about the first chapter of the rebuild, now complete. It s what we, as a group, set off to do 12 months ago or so, whenever this process officially started, said Hahn, who traded veteran right-hander Miguel Gonzalez to the Texas Rangers late Thursday to wrap up a busy season of trading. We re pleased with how this first stage went. We know there s more work to do, but the first element of it has gone, for the most part, according to plan. Commence Stage 2. The Sox don t look at September as the final month of a long, losing season. Instead, the front office and coaching staff see this as an opportunity to test young players with an eye toward Pitchers such as Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Carson Fulmer all stand to benefit from a strong finish. Position players such as Tim Anderson, Matt Davidson, Adam Engel, Yoan Moncada (when healthy) and Nicky Delmonico (when healthy) also will be evaluated daily with the future in mind. It s almost a better test than spring training because it s actually ongoing here, manager Rick Ren-teria said. We re going to use every possible moment for us to evaluate and assess where they re at, with the understanding that we know there s still things that they need to improve upon. We ll use this last month to do a lot of assessment. Hopefully, we re spot-on in terms of what we see or don t see. In what could be a 100-loss season, details likely will matter more than game outcomes in the final month. Does a young hitter sprint out of the batter s box every time? How does a pitcher handle a borderline call that doesn t go his way? What kind of teammates are they? They are still a part of the Chicago White Sox as a team, and that cannot be lost, Renteria said. They re performing to do things that will help us win on a daily basis. It s not a selfish approach in that I m just going to take care of me. That doesn t function anywhere, not in the long term. So, hopefully the way they re playing the game is the way they re supposed to, and they continue to learn and expand their capabilities. Fulmer, 23, arrived Friday as the Sox expanded their roster. The hard-throwing right-hander spent the bulk of the year at Class AAA Charlotte, where the clubhouse often buzzed with news of the latest player to be promoted. We know that we are the future of this ballclub, Fulmer said. We just have to hang around each other as much as we can in order to get that brotherhood the way we want it. With the mix of veteran guys that we have here and the young guys, we definitely have something special here. More losses could lead to a higher draft pick in 2018, but Hahn isn t focused on that. He cares more about Stage 2 than pick No. 1. It looks to be a robust draft class, he said. Whether we re picking one, three, five or whatever, we re going to wind up with a very interesting talent to add into this mix. Back from disabled list, White Sox Reynaldo Lopez loses but learns He struck out a season-high seven batters in six innings. Sox manager Rick Renteria pulled him after 85 pitches as a precaution. By Tom Musick / Chicago Sun-Times September 1, 2017 Reynaldo Lopez is gaining confidence with every start he makes for the White Sox. Every time you re able to go out there and pitch, you are gaining experience, he said through an interpreter Friday night after the Sox 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. Then you know how to make better pitches, how to execute your plan, and how to have success.

11 The 23-year-old fared well in his return from the 10-day disabled list because of a back strain. He struck out a seasonhigh seven batters in six innings. Sox manager Rick Renteria pulled him after 85 pitches as a precaution following a twoweek absence. I felt strong, Lopez said. I felt like I could have kept pitching, but I also have to understand that I just came from a DL stint and they want to protect me. You, as a player, have to understand that, and I was OK. The Sox (52-81) had an opportunity to come back when they loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh. But Tim Anderson hit a hard line drive directly to Rays shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria to end the inning. Lopez (0-2) could make another handful of starts in September if he stays healthy. He has pitched 137 innings this season (121 in the minors, 16 in the majors), and the Sox have no plans to shut down any of their young pitchers unless they show signs of fatigue. In addition to reinstating Lopez from the DL, the Sox promoted Carson Fulmer and David Holmberg before the game. Fulmer is one of several pitchers, including Derek Holland, Mike Pelfrey and Dylan Covey, who could contend for starts at the back end of the rotation in the final month. Utilityman Leury Garcia exited the game in the fifth inning because of an injured right thumb. His status is day-to-day. No way, Jose First baseman Jose Abreu insisted he was healthy enough to return from an injured right elbow, but Renteria decided to rest him for a second consecutive day. When Abreu objected, Renteria held his ground. I had to put my foot down on this one, for sure, Renteria said with a smile. I send out the lineup to the guys before they get to the ballpark, so they know who s playing. He went to the trainer already. [Herm Schneider] gave me a call and said, He wants to play. He came in and voiced his opinion, and I voiced mine. Renteria said he didn t want to risk the injury bothering Abreu for the rest of the season. Scouting report General manager Rick Hahn praised right-hander Miguel Gonzalez for his time in Chicago one day after he was traded to the Texas Rangers in exchange for minor-league infielder Edward Ti Quan Forbes. Forbes, 21, hit.234 with 11 home runs and 45 RBI in 130 games with a pair of Class A teams this season. The Rangers drafted him in the second round in Ultimately, we were able to get an interesting prospect back with some upside, Hahn said. Logan Morrison, Blake Snell lead Rays over White Sox 3-1 By John Jackson / Associated Press September 1, 2017 CHICAGO -- Logan Morrison makes himself heard daily in the Tampa Bay Rays clubhouse. Lately, he's been doing the same thing on the field. Morrison hit his 34th homer and drove in three runs, Blake Snell pitched into the seventh inning to win his third straight decision and the Rays beat the Chicago White Sox 3-1 on Friday night. Morrison, who went 3 for 4, has five homers in his last five games. He's hitting.480 (12 for 25) with 11 RBIs in that span. "Yeah, he's loud," Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. "Hopefully, his bat just continues to be as loud as his mouth." Snell (3-6) allowed one unearned run and induced three double plays in 6 2/3 innings. He hasn't lost since July 24. Alex Colome got the final three outs for his major league-leading 41st save in 46 opportunities. The Rays have won two straight and are three games out of the second wildcard spot in the AL. Kevan Smith went 2 for 4 with a run scored for Chicago, which has dropped four straight.

12 Reynaldo Lopez (0-2) allowed three runs and five hits with seven strikeouts in six innings. Lopez, who had been on the disabled list since Aug. 19 with a strained back, settled down after a shaky start and retired the last 11 batters he faced. "Other than for a couple of pitches, I thought he did a nice job," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "You could kind of see him settling down, feeling a little more comfortable as the game progressed." Morrison put the Rays on top with a two-run shot in the first. Lopez left a 2-2 changeup out over the plate and Morrison sent it six rows back in the right-center bleachers. "I swung at one down out of the zone earlier in the at-bat," he said. "He went fastball away off the plate and came back to the changeup. It was just something I saw pretty well and was able to get the barrel to it and get enough on it to get it out." Chicago got its only run in the second. Smith doubled with one out and scored when Leury Garcia hit an infield single and Morrison's throw to first sailed past Snell. Morrison hit an RBI single in his next at-bat. Snell was lifted with two outs and one on in the seventh despite having thrown just 85 pitches. "I knew he had more pitches left in the tank, but our bullpen's been so good for us," Cash said. "He had done his job." PITCHER'S BEST FRIEND Shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria started all three double plays, including one in the fifth when he fielded a one-hop smash by Chicago's Tim Anderson with a backhand stab. "He makes everything look easy and those are not easy plays," Cash said. SEPTEMBER CALLUPS With rosters expanding from 25 to 40 on Friday, the Rays called up C Curt Casali, RHP Ryne Stanek and LHP Adam Kolarek from Triple-A Durham. Casali hit.263 with five homers for Durham this season. The White Sox recalled RHP Carson Fulmer and LHP David Holmberg from Triple-A Charlotte. Fulmer, Chicago's firstround draft pick in 2015, made one start in the majors this season, allowing six runs and four hits in 1 1/3 innings on Aug. 21 against Minnesota. He likely will be used as a reliever and spot starter this month. TRAINER'S ROOM White Sox: 1B Jose Abreu missed a second straight game with a sore right elbow. Abreu wanted to play and lobbied to get in the lineup. "That's my decision to keep him out," Renteria said.... INF/OF Garcia left after the fourth with a right hand contusion. He slid headfirst into first base on an infield hit in the second.... 2B Yoan Moncada (bone contusion in right shin) has been cleared to resume baseball activities this weekend. He's eligible to come off the 10-day DL on Monday, but likely won't be ready then. UP NEXT Rays RHP Chris Archer (9-7, 3.66 ERA) faces LHP Carlos Rodon (2-5, 4.27) in the second game of the series Saturday night. Archer is 2-0 with a 5.40 ERA on the road against Chicago. Rodon allowed five runs and seven hits in his last start against Detroit last Saturday. Lopez looks good for Chicago White Sox in return By Scot Gregor / Daily Herald September 1, 2017 When he last pitched for the Chicago White Sox, Reynaldo Lopez wasn't feeling right, and the results showed. Taking the mound at Texas on Aug. 17, Lopez gave up 6 runs on 5 hits and 4 walks in 4⅓ innings. When manager Rick Renteria came out to the mound with trainer Herm Schneider to check on the young right-hander, Lopez said he was physically fine. He quickly changed his mind, exited the game and wound up on the disabled list with a back strain.

13 Lopez came off the DL on Friday and started for the Sox in a 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays at Guaranteed Rate Field. Stung by all-star Logan Morrison's 2-run homer in the first inning, Lopez settled down and pitched very well in his return. "Sometimes you make mistakes and you have to understand that it's a mistake; you have to accept it," Lopez said through a translator. "At the same time, you have to keep moving forward because that pitch is already made, there's nothing you can do. That's what I tried to do, just kept my focus on the game and tried to get the next batter out. "I felt good today. I did what I usually do, and I did it since the beginning, and I think I had a good game. I felt very good." Lopez allowed 3 runs on 5 hits and 1 walk in 6 innings. Riding a fastball that topped out at 97 mph and an effective changeup, he also had 7 strikeouts and retired the final 11 Rays hitters he faced. "I felt strong," Lopez said after throwing 85 pitches. "I felt like I could be efficient. But I also have to understand I'm just coming off a DL stint and they want to protect me. You as a player have to understand that, and I was OK." Roster additions: With rosters eligible to expand in September, the White Sox on Friday recalled right-handed pitcher Carson Fulmer from Class AAA Charlotte and purchased the contract of left-hander David Holmberg from Charlotte. Fulmer, the Sox's first-round pick (No. 8 overall) in 2015, has struggled this season, going 7-9 with a 5.79 ERA in 22 starts with the Knights. He also started Game 2 of a doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins on Aug. 21 and gave up 6 runs on 4 hits and 3 walks in 1⅓ innings. "I had a really good start," Fulmer said. "I kind of had a couple of rough patches in the middle of the year. "I think I've been pitching pretty well. I had a couple of unfortunate things happen in my outings, but as a pitcher you can't complain about those things. I feel like I've been executing the way I've been wanting to. I'm ready to have success here and capture the opportunity." Fulmer could get more starts with the Sox over the final month of the season, but his future looks to be in the bullpen. "We thought it was important to get Carson back here to get him working with Coop and Has (pitching coach Don Cooper and bullpen coach Curt Hasler)," general manager Rick Hahn said. "We may use him in a variety of different ways. It's possible he gets a start or two along the stretch, or it's possible we use him exclusively out of the pen. We still need to go through the specific plan going into next week for each of the guys coming up." Done deal: The White Sox just beat the deadline Thursday night, sending veteran starting pitcher Miguel Gonzalez to Texas in a waiver trade for minor-league infielder Ti'Quan Forbes. Gonzalez was 7-10 with a 4.31 ERA in 22 starts for the Sox, and the right-hander was 3-2 with a 3.11 ERA over his final nine outings. "I kind of expected the market to be a little more robust for the quality starter that he is and the quality person that he is and the durability that he has shown," GM Rick Hahn said. "With that said, you have to look at each contender's situation. "If it's possible that you are already confident you will be in the postseason, you don't necessarily project him to be one of the three guys you are probably going to go with, so it's less of a need." White Sox still determining their plan for Carson Fulmer this September By James Fegan / The Athletic September 1, 2017 Carson has had a bit of a rough year in Triple-A, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn began when discussing his most recent September call-up, pitcher Carson Fulmer, who not too long ago was considered one of the top two prospects in his organization. A nice start and then a difficult stretch in which he has rebounded from a little bit in recent weeks.