GLENDALE, Ariz. -- White Sox manager Rick Renteria has no doubt Gio González will be able to break camp as the team’s fifth starter, even though the veteran southpaw has yet to throw in a Cactus League game due to shoulder discomfort felt before Spring Training began.

“Yeah, unless somebody knows something different than myself,” Renteria said. “He’ll be able to do it. We have the activities set up for him to be able to get himself ready and geared up to go.”

General manager Rick Hahn said Friday he was as confident at that point as he could be in González, as he continued to progress. González threw 30 pitches Friday in a simulated game, getting up and down a couple of times. He will throw a bullpen Sunday and then will be slotted in somewhere to pitch Wednesday.

González added he’s already up to date with his curve and changeup and his fastball is getting there. The next step is playing in a game, but the biggest step is getting completely healthy.

“You just want to continue the same path. You don’t want to rev the engine too much,” Gonzalez said. “I want to get healthy. I want to get ready.

“I want to make sure I stay on there. I don’t want to get on, get off. So, it’s one of those things where you don’t want setbacks and if there are setbacks, you want to be as minimal as possible. Very minor.”

The White Sox wouldn't need a fifth starter until April 1 in Cleveland, barring any changes due to weather. The White Sox also play 17 straight from April 10-26 before a Monday off-day between series in Anaheim and Colorado. If González was not quite available at the outset, the team could possibly go with nine relievers, four starters and employ a bullpen day.

“We have a couple contingencies in mind,” Hahn said. “As we sit here today, both [Lucas] Giolito and Gio González are on pace to be part of the Opening Day rotation.”

Keuchel remains ahead of schedule

Dallas Keuchel allowed four runs on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings, striking out three and walking one, during a 12-7 loss to the Giants on Saturday in Scottsdale. The veteran southpaw felt he could have gone another couple of innings, which is a good sign, but he’s not trying to jam down the accelerator at this point.

“Felt pretty good early and then just kind of lost focus a little bit,” Keuchel told reporters. “That’s really one of the challenges I’m going to face having a Spring Training off last year, and just kind of going about my own slower pace.

“I’m kind of in cruise control, just let the body work and jamming the accelerator down. I’m trying to find the correct balance again. It was good to get work in. You never want to see runs across the board but if you can pick-and-choose a time, it’s definitely Spring Training.”

Keuchel will next throw Thursday in some sort of in-camp format at Camelback Ranch during a scheduled White Sox off-day.

Third to first
• Giolito felt great Saturday after his one-inning, 15-pitch Cactus League debut against the Cubs on Friday.

“He was pretty excited,” said Renteria of his projected Opening Day starter. “He was pumped up about his first outing.”

• Luis Robert played in back-to-back games against the Cubs Friday and against the Giants on Saturday, leading off Saturday and finishing 1-for-3. Look for more of the position players to get extended on-field action as they fine-tune their game in the final two weeks of Spring Training.

“You start to see them kind of continue to settle down,” Renteria said. “In terms of their process and their routines, they are doing a nice job getting themselves ready.”

They said it
“What day was the trade done? He was acquired to be this guy.” -- Hahn, on when the White Sox decided Yoán Moncada was one of their frontline core players after the team announced a five-year, $70 million extension with the third baseman with a $25 million team option in 2025

“It takes a while to truly get to know what your scouts saw and what you see on video and what the reputation is. So, the comfort level with him today is higher than at the time when we acquired him, but that's simply because we've gotten to know him and reinforced everything we believed about him.” -- Hahn, on the certainly concerning Moncada growing as the organization has grown to know him.

Up next
The White Sox have their second-to-last Spring Training split-squad action on Sunday, with part of the team playing against the Padres in Peoria with a 3:10 p.m. CT first pitch and the other half facing the Royals at Camelback Ranch with a 3:05 p.m. CT first pitch. The game against the Royals will be broadcast via White Sox webcast. Reynaldo López gets the start in Peoria, with Zack Burdi, Evan Marshall and Carson Fulmer also scheduled to pitch. Alex McRae starts against the Royals.