Joe McEwing's hospital ward report: Ricky, Eloy and Reynaldo
White Sox bench coach Joe McEwing was again pressed into service as manager, as Monday brought the distressing news that Ricky Renteria was hospitalized with coronavirus symptoms.
"We talked a couple of times today," McEwing said from Cleveland. "Just precautionary, being really. really cautious. We should have results back in a few hours. He ways he feels great and fine, just being very cautious."
McEwing did not have to manager on Monday, as the game was called on account of rain, to be made up tomorrow night as the first game of a doubleheader. Better, word came late on Monday that Renteria tested negative and will be back with the team to manage on Tuesday.
McEwing also provided updates on a couple of players who were injured in Sunday's series finale vs. the Twins.
Left fielder Eloy Jiménez is on the mend after a nasty confrontation with the outfield wall in the first inning.
"Eloy improved a lot. We're taking the correct measures," McEwing said, explaining that the White Sox were following concussion protocols even though Jiménez showed no signs of concussion. "He hit off the tee today and threw, and woke up feeling pretty good this morning."
As for Reynaldo López, also removed from the game in the first inning after complaining of shoulder pain, McEwing was cautiously optimistic as well.
"He was evaluated today in Chicago, had an MRI," he said. "He got on some medication, and hopefully the inflammation will resolve itself."
For the time being, McEwing confirmed that Gio González will slot in to start in place of López while the righthander is on the injured list.
Also, the taxi squad players for this road trip are merely two, not three: catcher Yermín Mercedes and reliever Matt Foster. Both players aim to make their major league debuts this week.
For the full session with McEwing (with some audio issues out of Cleveland) courtesy of the White Sox, watch below:
Actor (final credit: murdered by Albert Einstein in "Carnage Hall"), musician (Ethnocentric Republicans), and Nerf hoops champion, Wiffleball aficionado and onetime bilingual kindergarten teacher, Brett Ballantini also writes about baseball, basketball and sometimes hockey, for the NBA, MLB, NHL, and Slam, Hoop, Sporting News, the Athletic, SB Nation and others. He was CSN Chicago’s Blackhawks beat writer when their 49-year Stanley Cup drought ended in 2009-10, and took over the White Sox beat after that. He currently is the editor-in-chief of South Side Hit Pen and beat writer for Inside the Rays. He also wrote a book about Ozzie Guillén but is running out of space, so follow him on Twitter @BrettBallantini and he'll probably tell you even more about himself than you ever wanted to know.