Lance Lynn pitched to several Chicago White Sox teammates before Tuesday’s game against the Boston Red Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.
In one instance, he shattered Eloy Jiménez’s bat.
Advertisement
Manager Tony La Russa liked what he saw from the right-hander, who is recovering from right knee surgery to repair a torn tendon.
“I was overruled by the general manager (Rick Hahn) and the trainer, but I thought he was ready to go five days from now,” La Russa joked.
Advertisement
Lynn said he is in line to start this weekend — but it will be on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte.
“It’s right on pace,” Lynn said Wednesday of the rehab process. “When you look at how everything goes, it’s all about how you can recover. Some days you are going to feel worse than others. It’s how you get through it and how you respond. The more I get on the mound, the better I feel, the more comfortable I feel.
“Now it’s on to games this weekend it looks like. That’s the next step of intensity. I’m sure I’ll have some soreness and things of that nature you’ve got to get through. And that’s what the rehab process is all about so you feel comfortable when it’s time to be back here.”
Lynn — one of three finalists for the 2021 American League Cy Young Award — anticipates needing three appearances before making his first start for the White Sox. La Russa cautioned it will be “at least three” starts.
“We’re trying to be patient,” La Russa said. “It’s hard. But he’s so excited about the progress that he’s made. We’re going to have a lot of people eyeballing him because there’s nothing worse than getting excited, getting him back and then losing him.”
Lynn has been out since he hobbled off the mound in an April 2 Cactus League game after throwing a pitch to the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Corbin Carroll. He underwent surgery April 5.
Lynn knows the importance of being patient.
“The more you push the thing, the more it kind of pulls you back,” he said. “It’s part of the process. My body is telling me how much I can give, the effort I can give and the intensity I can give. As long as you keep moving forward, everything is in a good spot. I’m looking forward to competing, but I have to make sure everything is ready to go before I fully let it go.
Advertisement
“The process of being injured and getting back is probably the worst process there is, especially for athletes. You miss competing. You miss being part of the team. You miss trying to help your team win. But as long as you get yourself back ready to go and you are 100% when you get back, then you did your job.”
Lynn is managing the situation by trying to “stay in (his) process.”
“Make sure you are there for your teammates, doing everything you can to help them prepare for games or see what you see during a game,” Lynn said. “But make sure you hit all your checkpoints that day. You do it that way and the process keeps going.”
Tuesday’s live batting practice was another step in the right direction.
“The ball was coming out good, had good command,” La Russa said. “Exciting to think about (him) being back with us. But patience is going to be important.”
Lynn said: “The first two times (against) the hitters went according to plan, and now it’s on to games and that’s going to be a totally different type of intensity. Each day you have to reassess, but there’s been nothing to hold anything back.”
Advertisement
Lynn went 11-6 with a 2.69 ERA and 176 strikeouts in 28 starts last season, his first with the White Sox, and placed third in Cy Young voting.
He knows a player returning from an injury can provide a boost.
“Yeah, if you do well,” he said with a smile. “If you suck when you get back, nobody cares. So I’ve got to be ready to go.”
