CHICAGO -- Following a ramped-up bullpen session thrown Monday evening, marking his second session since Friday, Lucas Giolito feels ready to return to the White Sox starting rotation.

Giolito was testing a strained left hamstring that caused him to leave a start against the Royals in the third inning on April 17. The injury put him on the injured list the next day in Detroit.

“Yeah, absolutely. That's what we'll go and discuss,” said Giolito after throwing 50 pitches, which included a break after 35 minutes to simulate getting up and down during a game. “I want nothing more than to get back in this rotation and pitch every five days.

“I don't think I've ever been on the IL before, other than my Tommy John surgery right when I started my career. It's not fun. I don't enjoy being hurt at all, and I just want to get back out there and compete."

The White Sox have Carlos Rodon scheduled as Wednesday’s starter. They also recalled right-handed pitcher Dylan Covey from Triple-A Charlotte to take the roster spot of Ryan Burr, who was placed on the injured list prior to Sunday’s game.

Covey, who broke camp with the team this season, could work out of the bullpen or make a spot start. But Giolito sounds ready to go at some point against Boston this weekend.

“As far as running, lifting, all those kinds of movements, that was 100 percent, felt fine like a week ago,” Giolito said. “This was the last test for pitching, and it went well.”

Jones playing waiting game

Right-handed reliever Nate Jones had an MRI taken on his right elbow, and was waiting for the test results pregame on Monday. He's been working both with White Sox doctors and doctors he has consulted with in the past to figure out the cause behind the right elbow inflammation that put him on the injured list Sunday.

“All we can do is pray for the best,” Jones said. “The frustrating part is I was having results. I was getting guys out and doing my part for the team.

“That’s the tough part when you can do that, but you are not feeling 100 percent. That’s the thing I battle with, or struggle with the most. But it’s all good. We are figuring out what’s going on and waiting for the results of that. We’ll go from there.”

Jones, 33, has a 3.48 ERA over 13 games this season. He has appeared in 57 games combined over the past three years due to injury, but is the longest-tenured player on the roster in terms of White Sox service time.

“It was more of a gradual thing,” Jones said. “It has kind of intensified over the last couple of outings and got to a point where I couldn’t handle it. So, we are where we are now.”

Jimenez playing catch

Eloy Jiménez was not wearing a protective boot on his right foot as he played catch at Guaranteed Rate Field on Monday. The No. 3 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, is on the injured list with a high right ankle sprain and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

“It's just the fact that he was able to come out and do that,” said White Sox manager Rick Renteria of his left fielder, who suffered the injury while chasing a Grayson Greiner home run in the third inning on Friday. “The trainers want to make sure to do whatever he can that's within his control, keep his throwing going and doing any baseball activities that he's possibly capable of doing.

“We'd like to have him out there sooner rather than later. But again, we'll know in a couple of weeks where he's at. Today's the first step; it's a positive step for us.”

He said it

“Tunnel vision. I’m doing me, doing my job, doing what I’m supposed to do and helping my teammates win ballgames.” -- Tim Anderson on his 2019 approach