Hamilton has minor setback with shoulder

PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Right-handed reliever Ian Hamilton is not on the White Sox pitching grid through Friday after what he described as a "little setback” with his right shoulder in relation to a recent auto accident in Arizona with his fiancée.

“Shoulder felt a little stiff from the crash, so we are kind of taking a little step back and getting it right for the season whenever it’s going to start,” Hamilton said. “I was kind of getting tired of not being able to play and tried to. I was getting uncomfortable not doing what I’m supposed to be doing and kind of messed up.

“Now I’m taking a step back, being like, ‘Calm down and see and get ready for being able to play’. Whenever that is.”

Hamilton said the shoulder issue came from holding on to the wheel and “jamming everything” during the accident. He got an MRI and “everything looked pretty good,” according to the club's No. 14 prospect per MLB Pipeline. He posted a 1.74 ERA with 22 saves last season between stops at Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte, before producing a 4.50 ERA over 10 appearances with the White Sox.

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“Just doing the little rehabs, probably like four or five days get back on it. But it’s going to be soon. It’s going to be sooner than I expected,” Hamilton said. “In general, [the MRI] looked pretty good.

“That kind of gave me a little bit more confidence and so I’m just going from there and rehabbing. Not rehabbing, but a little bit extra work and feeling better.”

Nova not happy with results

Monday’s outing for Iván Nova could be chalked up as nothing more than a blip on the Cactus League radar.

But allowing five earned runs on nine hits over 3 1/3 innings during Milwaukee’s 8-5 victory in Phoenix didn’t sit well with the veteran White Sox starter.

“Obviously not good. Not good,” Nova said. “Even in Spring Training, when I work on some stuff -- I need to work and I did it, so that's a positive thing -- but too many runs.”

Nova yielded long home runs to Ryan Braun and Corey Spangenberg. He liked how he worked against left-handed hitters with two strikeouts of Travis Shaw and one against Corey Ray.

“Location wasn't there, command wasn't there,” Nova said. “You want to do good. You want to get ready -- get ready the right way. Giving up runs isn't fun even in Spring Training.”

Osich joins the White Sox

The White Sox claimed left-handed pitcher Josh Osich off waivers from the Orioles and placed right-hander Michael Kopech on the 60-day disabled list. The moves leave the White Sox 40-man roster at exactly 40 players.

Osich, 30, started the spring with the Giants before being designated for assignment on Feb. 12. He was claimed off waivers by the Orioles on Feb. 19 and appeared in two Grapefruit League games with Baltimore before again being designated for assignment on March 8.

Over his four-year career covering 160 games with the Giants, Osich has limited left-handers to a .228 average, including a .156 mark in 2016 when the Giants reached the postseason.

Cease takes another good step

The 1 2/3 innings thrown by Dylan Cease on Sunday were a positive step in terms of the ball coming out of his hand well.

“I didn’t execute pitches very well, but it was better than my first outing,” Cease said on Monday morning. “I still have a couple of weeks to get my feel for it. I actually feel positive about it.”

Cease, the No. 21 overall prospect per MLB Pipeline, didn’t enter the game against the A’s until the seventh inning. He admitted the feeling was definitely different and he looks forward to getting back to a starter’s routine, but he’s all about getting ready for the regular season and getting work in.

His next outing should come Saturday, where Cease could go three innings. Much focus has been placed upon when Cease debuts with the White Sox, which he understands, but he’s more worried about refining his craft as a Minor Leaguer.

“There's always more to do, always more to get better at,” Cease said. “So it's always like I feel people need to understand that I still have a lot to learn and grow. But no, it's a good thing.”

They said it

“Today he looked really good in [batting practice]. He’s a young man that, for his strength and size, he works very strong through the middle of the diamond the other way. As long as he continues to approach that way, his time will come and he’ll be able to put some pretty good swings on some pitches.” -- manager Rick Renteria on Eloy Jimenez, who finished 1-for-3 with a run-scoring double Monday

Up next

It’s split-squad action for the White Sox, weather permitting, on Tuesday. Carlos Rodón, who figures to be the team’s Opening Day starter, gets the start at Camelback Ranch against the Mariners, while Carson Fulmer starts against the Royals in Surprise. Both games have a 3:05 p.m. CT first pitch.