White Sox lefty Anthony Kay trying to get used to different usage

Forgive White Sox left-hander Anthony Kay if his rhythm is a bit off. He has alternated starts and appearances that follow an opener. He has pitched on four, five and six days of rest.

But when he starts Monday against the Angels at Rate Field, he’ll be coming off a start and pitching on the typical four days of rest. However he enters a game, though, Kay tries to maintain his routine.

‘‘You try to treat it like any other outing,’’ he told the Sun-Times on Sunday. ‘‘You still prepare the same way; you try to do everything the same way. You’ve just gotta time it up. Obviously, [following an opener] is a little different because you’ve gotta time up if we have a long inning in the first. But at the end of the day, you’re still pitching and you still have to get outs.’’

Kay struggled to do that in his last outing Wednesday. In 3⅔ innings, he allowed eight runs, eight hits (two home runs) and three walks in the Sox’ 11-7 loss to the Diamondbacks. He spoke with pitching coach Zach Bove and assistant pitching coach Bobby Hearn about his issues.

‘‘I’m not doing a bad job of getting ahead 0-1,’’ Kay said. “I’m pretty much around league average for first-pitch strikes. It’s the attack after that. A lot of it is me getting 0-1 and then me getting to 2-1 or 3-1. So a lot of it is just attack plan, what I’m doing in the middle of the counts. Just gotta live in the zone a lot and attack these guys.’’

That will be a challenge against a right-handed-dominant Angels team that entered Sunday ranked seventh in the majors in runs (137) and eighth in OPS (.731). Kay planned to watch Royals left-hander Cole Ragans’ start Saturday against the Angels, in which he allowed one run in six innings and struck out 11 in a 12-1 victory.

At least Kay will know when it’s time to take the mound. But at the rate he’s going, he figures to follow an opener again soon.

‘‘It’s just getting comfortable with it,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m still getting used to it a little bit. It’s something that they’re gonna use, they’ve used a bunch already, and it’s something I’m gonna have to get used to.’’

Murray injures shoulder

Left fielder Tanner Murray left the game in the 10th inning after making a diving catch on a line drive hit by the Nationals’ CJ Abrams. Free runner Daylen Lile scored easily from third as Murray lay flat on the ground. He was escorted off the field and replaced by Sam Antonacci.

Manager Will Venable said Murray injured his left shoulder and was in a lot of pain. He still was being evaluated.

New catcher, no problem

Right-hander Sean Burke had no trouble throwing to new catcher Drew Romo, whom the Sox called up Saturday from Triple-A Charlotte.

‘‘It was really good,’’ Burke said. ‘‘It was his second day here. I didn’t throw to him at all in spring training. I thought he did a really good job of talking through some stuff with me [Saturday] and throughout the game today.’’

Stormy weather

Threatening weather is forecast for Monday. If the game is postponed, it likely would be played as part of a straight doubleheader Tuesday.

ON DECK

ANGELS AT SOX

Monday: Jack Kochanowicz (2-0, 3.10 ERA) vs. Anthony Kay (1-1, 5.57), 6:40 p.m., CHSN, 1000-AM.

Tuesday: Jose Soriano (5-0, 0.24) vs. Davis Martin (3-1, 2.01), 6:40 p.m., CHSN, 1000-AM.

Wednesday: Yusei Kikuchi (0-3, 6.21) vs. Erick Fedde (0-3, 3.42), 12:10 p.m., CHSN, 1000-AM.