CHICAGO -- An embarrassing moment for Carlos Rodon turned into a sprained left wrist for the White Sox southpaw and a trip to the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 6.
Rodon suffered the injury by tripping on the dugout stairs Friday as he was going to the field for the national anthem.
"I slipped on to the field and tried to catch myself," Rodon said. "I'm not going to lie, I was a little embarrassed. I was like, 'I hope no one saw that.' I got out there and was like just laughing when the anthem was going on. I came back in and sat down and I was like, 'All right, this kind of hurts a little bit.'
"It didn't swell. We had an X-ray and the doctor classified it as a sprain, and that's about it."
The White Sox have yet to announce their second-half rotation, although manager Robin Ventura indicated Jose Quintana would get the call on Friday in Anaheim and Chris Sale most likely will be pushed back until next week in Seattle with his likely All-Star Game appearance Tuesday. Rodon wouldn't be eligible to return until the first second-half home series against Detroit (starting July 21), but he won't be throwing at all over the next week with a brace on his arm.
That inactivity could lead to at least one Minor League rehab start.
"He would have to do something as far as throwing pitches: You are not going to come in after two weeks," Ventura said. "I don't know when he's going to start back up actually throwing. I know at least for a week, he's not going to be throwing a baseball.
"After that, you figure it out how he's going to ramp it back up to be able to go back out there. Most guys are going to throw over the break. You have something that keeps them going. With Carlos, we'll have to wait and see how it feels."
Right-handed reliever Tommy Kahnle took Rodon's roster spot for the final two days of the first half, recalled from Triple-A Charlotte prior to Saturday's contest vs. Atlanta. It's uncertain who would take Rodon's spot start or two, with Scott Carroll, Tyler Danish and Anthony Ranaudo standing as 40-man options for a roster currently sitting at 40.
Carson Fulmer, the team's top-ranked prospect, per MLBPipeline.com, has been talked about as a second-half callup by Ventura and pitching coach Don Cooper. But he's viewed more as a reliever at the big league level at this point.
This break also could provide a good rest for the 23-year-old Rodon, who finished the first half with a 2-7 record, 4.50 ERA and 91 strikeouts and 32 walks over 92 innings. The opposition has a .295 average against Rodon.
"Hopefully it's not going to be anything that lingers past this two weeks," Ventura said. "It's unfortunate. It's something you deal with, and somebody else is going to have to fill his spot when we start back up after the break."
"Very frustrating," Rodon said. "I got my butt whipped by the Yankees and then I slipped coming out of the dugout. I didn't really want a mental break. I didn't want this to happen, either."