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Levine: Chicago White Sox Rotation Set, Minus 5th Starter

By Bruce Levine--

GLENDALE, Ariz. (CBS) -- Although left-hander Carlos Rodon will be starting the season on the disabled list, the White Sox have named their one-through-four rotation to begin the 2017 season.

Manager Rick Renteria named Jose Quintana, James Shields, Derek Holland and Miguel Gonzalez as the first four starting pitchers out of the chute. The team won't need a fifth starter until April 8 or 9, when Dylan Covey or David Holmberg would substitute for the injured Rodon, Renteria said.

"I will have to think a little, right now those are the two that come to mind," he said.

The White Sox have other dynamic arms available in Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Michael Kopech, but they're in a player development program and headed for minor league assignments for more refinement. The plan for them doesn't include a quick promotion due to another pitcher's injury, according to Renteria.

"Any of the guys we sent out will stay down," Renteria said. "We will not rush them. That is not something we want to contemplate. We want to be steadfast and true to what we want to do. For now, that is best for everybody."

Now, the painful part of rebuilding an organization begins for the White Sox. The future headlining players must be protected from early exposure. Competing clubs may start looking for veteran replacements to solidify their rotations. Many clubs will also be releasing players this week to get down to a 25-man roster on Opening Day.

"It is a fine line and a balance between short-term gain and long-term potential success," Renteria said. "That is what you want to have with these young men."

The White Sox will incur some bumps and bruises, along with a little learning curve once the season commences. For now, Renteria can only hope the players will do well in development to help them compete at a major league level.

Rodon probably won't pitch for two more weeks because of biceps tightness. He's confident he'll return to the mound soon, even though the recent days have been tough on him.

"I am a little sore from the injections they put in there," Rodon said. "We will go for a second opinion in a couple of days. After the next exam, we will see what we have got."

Rodon's second exam and likely second MRI will be done Monday.

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.

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