Santana said Saturday that he's still working through the finger issue he battled in 2018 and acknowledged he might not be ready to pitch by Opening Day, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The White Sox officially announced Santana's signing after the right-hander had been on the open market for nearly four months. Though his contract is only a minor-league deal that won't immediately afford him on a spot on the 40-man roster, Santana's long track record of success prior to 2018 should make him a viable candidate for the major-league rotation if he proves healthy in camp. It doesn't sound like Santana is dealing with any physical complications with the finger on his pitching hand, but he's nonetheless easing into the upcoming season after completing his second bullpen session of the spring Saturday. Santana's velocity readings this spring will likely prove most telling about his health after his fastball averaged just 89.4 miles per hour over his five appearances with the Twins in 2018. That was a decline of four mph from his mark in 2017, a season in which he turned in a 3.28 ERA over 211.1 innings.