White Sox's Lance Lynn to start Field of Dreams Game vs. Yankees as Carlos Rodón lands on IL

Chicago manager Tony La Russa will also miss the game in Iowa for personal reasons

By R.J. Anderson

Aug 11, 2021 at 11:59 am ET • 1 min read

USATSI

The Chicago White Sox placed starting pitcher Carlos Rodon on the injured list on Wednesday because of left shoulder fatigue. The injury will prevent Rodón from making his scheduled start against the New York Yankees on Thursday in Major League Baseball's Field of Dreams Game. In a corresponding move, the White Sox recalled righty Matt Foster from Triple-A Charlotte.

White Sox manager Tony La Russa announced that Lance Lynn will start on Thursday instead, with Reynaldo López getting the nod on Wednesday, according to The Athletic's James Fegan. (La Russa also announced that he himself will miss Thursday's game so that he can attend the funeral of his sister's husband.)

Lynn is one of several contenders for the American League Cy Young Award. In 20 starts this season, he's compiled a 2.04 ERA (207 ERA+) and a 3.71 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He recently made his second career All-Star Game appearance. Lynn, by the way, is scheduled to be opposed by Andrew Heaney, who the Yankees recently acquired through trade.

Rodón has authored one of the season's better stories. In his first 19 outings this year, he had accumulated a 2.38 ERA (178 ERA+) and a 5.33 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Were it not for Trey Mancini, the Baltimore Orioles slugger who missed last season battling cancer, Rodón would likely be the obvious Comeback Player of the Year Award winner. He'll have to settle for his first career All-Star Game appearance and down-ballot Cy Young Award consideration.

The Field of Dreams Game -- postponed from last season because of the global pandemic -- is scheduled to begin at 7:15 p.m. ET on Thursday night in Dyersville, Iowa.