Precautionary approach with Welington Castillo shows what he means to White Sox: ‘We don't want to lose that guy, big part of us'

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Welington Castillo's health status doesn't seem like something to be concerned about, according to Rick Renteria, which is a good thing, considering what the catcher means to this White Sox team.

After departing Tuesday's loss to the Tampa Bay Rays with "knee soreness," Castillo will reportedly have an MRI on that right knee. But Renteria called everything precautionary.

"He’s day-to-day. He’s available to me today in an emergency. I just figured after we took him out yesterday we’d give him a day today to take it easy, be available for me tomorrow to start. I think it’s just precautionary," Renteria said ahead of Wednesday's series finale with the Rays. "We’re getting ready to hit the road. I think (trainer Herm Schneider) just wanted to make sure that we got something done here before we left. But he’s doing fine."

Omar Narvaez subbed in for Castillo on Tuesday and got the start Wednesday with Castillo getting a day to rest and heal up ahead of a seven-game road trip through Minneapolis and Oakland.

Castillo's day off doesn't seem like it will mean much in the grand scheme of things. But while on the topic of the White Sox catcher, who signed a two-year deal this offseason, Renteria was able to talk about what figured to be one of the biggest reasons Rick Hahn's front office brought Castillo aboard this rebuilding project: his work with the team's young pitchers.

Castillo had a career year defensively a season ago, just like he did at the plate. With the White Sox starting staff already featuring three potential members of the rotation of the future in Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Carson Fulmer — and expected to only get younger when highly touted pitching prospects make their way to the South Side — how Castillo helps those arms develop is a big part of what he brings to the table.

"I think the ability to kind of get them through even when they’re having a little bit of a tough time," Renteria said when asked what he likes about how Castillo's worked with guys during the first two turns through the rotation. "He’s got a presence about him. He knows where to take them, he knows what type of pitches to use to bring a guy back into a slot, things of that nature, and then the conversations he has with them. I think they’re all very comfortable with him. And we’re really happy with what he’s doing with everybody that he’s caught."

Giolito specifically praised Castillo's work with him during his first start of the season in Kansas City. Giolito has struggled with his stuff through his first two outings, but in that first one, he was able to go six innings and allow just three runs in a game the White Sox came back and won.

Per Renteria, Castillo got his spikes stuck in the ground during a throw to second base in Tuesday's game. Renteria hopes Castillo can start Thursday's series-opener in Minneapolis. Good thing, too.

"I think we took him out for tremendously precautionary reasons. We don’t want to lose that guy," Renteria said. "Big part of us."

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