White Sox's Lucas Giolito: Plans to return Sunday

Giolito (abdomen) confirmed Wednesday that he expects to be activated from the 10-day injured list to start Sunday's game in Minnesota, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. "It went pretty well. I felt healthy," Giolito told LaMond Pope of the Chicago Tribune, after he completed a simulated game in Arizona on Tuesday. "That was the goal. Feel good, feel healthy...get a nice number of pitches in, I think it was like 50-something. And be ready for rejoining the rotation and hoping to make a good impact going forward."

Manager Tony La Russa suggested Tuesday that Giolito appeared on track to return from the IL this weekend, and the right-hander's comments offer further confirmation that he'll be rejoining the big club in Minnesota. Since Giolito noted that he tossed around 50 pitches in his simulated game, the White Sox aren't likely to extend him beyond 70-to-80 pitches while he continues to build up. That still may be a long enough of a leash for Giolito to bring value for fantasy managers in the ratio categories. Before exiting his season-opening start April 8 against the Tigers due to the abdominal injury, he struck out six and allowed three baserunners over four scoreless innings.