Jonathan Cannon, a 6-foot-6 right-hander, is set to make his second career start when the Chicago White Sox face the Minnesota Twins on Monday night in Minneapolis.
Cannon, 23, had an impressive debut on Wednesday, holding the Kansas City Royals to one run and three hits in five innings. The White Sox ultimately lost the game 4-2, but Cannon’s performance gave the team some optimism.
“I thought I did well,” Cannon said. “I thought I executed a lot of pitches. I was really able to execute my game plan going in. It was a dream come true, really. I was standing on the mound before the game started, just taking it all in.”
Cannon was supposed to make his debut last Tuesday, but that game was postponed due to rain. He said it was a surreal experience to finally get his chance to start.
“It was pretty surreal because I had the rainout the day before,” Cannon told the Chicago Tribune. “It was pretty crazy, waiting all day, and then it gets pushed back. I was like, ‘Man I’ve got to sleep on it again.’ But it was a pretty surreal moment, and that feeling hasn’t gone away yet.”
Cannon made two starts at Triple-A Charlotte this season before he was promoted to the White Sox. He has a 31-30 record in 31 minor league appearances, including 30 starts.
On Monday, Cannon will face off against Minnesota right-hander Chris Paddack, who got roughed up by the Baltimore Orioles in his last outing. Paddack allowed nine runs and 12 hits in 5 1/3 innings, but he said he didn’t feel he pitched as poorly as the stat line might suggest.
“It’s a young, hungry lineup. They had a really good approach,” Paddack said. “I thought we executed some really good pitches. Some of those pitches, I kind of just shook my head like you’ve got to tip your cap sometimes. … That’s a tough one to swallow.”
Paddack will face the White Sox for the first time in his career.
The White Sox have had a brutal start to the season, winning just three games overall and dropping to 1-9 on the road after an 8-2 setback on Sunday afternoon. The Twins have also struggled, losing six of their last seven contests.
“We’ve got to play perfect baseball,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “We’ve got to win with pitching and defense until the hitting gets going. If we’re not doing that, we’re going to struggle.”
