Gonzalez likely headed for DL after White Sox 2-1 loss
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — On a night when Danny Duffy pitched his first complete game for Kansas City, Chicago White Sox starter Miguel Gonzalez logged only one inning, and now he is probably headed to the disabled list.
Gonzalez was removed after 21 pitches with a right groin strain, and the White Sox lost 2-1 to Duffy and the Royals on Thursday night.
Gonzalez would be the 10th Chicago player on the disabled list.
"It probably looks like it," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "It was enough that he knew he pulled it pretty good. So, there's a pretty good chance of that.
"He pulled something, up on his thigh, like towards his groin. There wasn't really a chance to leave him in there and work through it. He knew it was enough to take him out. We'll know more tomorrow. They've been icing down and trying to figure it out."
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Gonzalez said he has had the injury in the past while with the Baltimore Orioles and landed on the disabled list.
"I understand the situation," he said. "I just need to get better and get ready for going in three weeks. That way I don't have to rush it. And we have guys on the DL right now. That's the last thing we want, guys to rush and then come back and try to pitch with it and you're not going to be a 100 percent. I'd rather be at 100 percent, for sure."
Duffy won his eighth straight decision, and Cheslor Cuthbert had two hits and drove in a run as the Royals won the series finale.
Duffy (9-1) limited the White Sox to seven singles, struck out six and walked none. The left-hander has not lost since June 6 and has a 1.73 ERA in his past five starts. Duffy threw 98 pitches, 71 for strikes.
Duffy moved into the rotation on May 15 and has thrown eight or more innings in four starts.
White Sox slugger Todd Frazier went 0 for 4 and struck out twice.
"Deception on his off-speed pitches," Frazier said of Duffy. "It looks like fastballs and then, the last second, you see it and it's already by you."
Cuthbert, whose triple scored Jarrod Dyson in the sixth, is second among AL rookies with 93 hits, 24 multihit games and a .303 batting average. Dyson was initially called out trying to steal second, but the Royals appealed and the call was overturned.
Cuthbert scored the go-ahead run on Eric Hosmer's single off Carson Fulmer (0-2). Fulmer has an 8.47 ERA in eight relief appearances.
Chicago's Jason Coats, recalled Tuesday from Triple-A Charlotte, singled home Tim Anderson with two outs in the second for his first major league RBI.
VOTE OF CONFIDENCE
Ventura said he is sticking with David Robertson as his closer, although he blew saves in the first two games of this series and six this season. "At some point it's going to turn for me and hopefully I'll get on a roll," Robertson said. "Right now I've definitely been doing a poor job out there and I need to pick it up."
UP NEXT
White Sox: LHP Carlos Rodon (2-8, 4.49) seeks his first road victory since April 13 at Miami. The Marlins will counter with RHP Andrew Cashner (4-8, 4.96).