| Newsbreakers |
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| Jim Thome went 2-for-3 with a double, homer, and two runs in Tuesday's win over the Mariners. The DH owns six homers, 12 RBI, and 15 runs over 15 games in August, although he has hit just .224 this month. |
Our View: Thome has responded well after his awful, awful May, and fantasy owners who can put up with his low average have to love the power. |
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| Clayton Richard tossed six scoreless innings against the Mariners on Tuesday and earned his first major league win. He allowed five hits, walked one, and struck out two. |
Our View: Does it still count if you beat the Mariners? Richard probably needed an ego boost after a rough start to his big league career, and he likely earned at least one more trip through the rotation. |
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| Joe Crede played five innings for Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday night and went 0-for-2 at the plate, MLB.com reports. It was his first game since he was scratched from the Charlotte lineup on August 2. Crede is on the DL due to lower back inflammation. |
Our View: The White Sox don't have a timetable for Crede, which is wise. His back issues make even bending over to pick up the remote control potentially dangerous. |
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| White Sox catcher Toby Hall had to ice down his right shoulder - the same one he separated in 2007 - after his attempt to give teammate Jermaine Dye the traditional shaving cream pie-to-the-face was blocked by the Chicago outfielder following the team's victory over Seattle on Monday, according to the Chicago Tribune. |
Our View: Hall says his shoulder is not injured, just a bit sore after the incident. His pie-in-the-face career is likely over after this. |
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| Clayton Richard will start Thursday's game against the Mariners, manager Ozzie Guillen told the AP. |
Our View: Richard has some impressive minor league digits this year, but his lack of success so far with the Sox makes him a questionable fantasy option, at best. |
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| There is no timetable for the return of Joe Crede, who is on the DL with back inflammation, according to the AP. "You know what, to be honest, I come to the ballpark I don't ask about Joe Crede," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "I'm not going to say he's out of my mind, but he's out of my picture. That's the way I'm going about my job. I've got 25 problems, I don't need 26." |
Our View: At this point we would be surprised if Crede is back at all this year. |
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| Alexei Ramirez had a single and a three-run homer in Chicago's win over Seattle Monday. He drove in four on the night. |
Our View: With Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye on the year, Ramirez's production sometimes gets overlooked, but he's been terrific, hitting .308 with 14 homers and nine steals. |
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| Joe Crede, who is on the DL with back inflammation, won't be rushed back to Chicago with Juan Uribe performing well at third base, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Manager Ozzie Guillen said, "I forgot about Joe Crede. Wow, it has been so long. Is Crede still around? No, when we get back to Chicago today we will have a better idea and see where he is. Right now, I don't expect to have him anytime soon. We have to be prepared for that. I think Uribe has been doing a good job playing third base. We just are focused on what we have here." Uribe has registered 12 hits in his last 35 at-bats (.343) while working at third base.
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Our View: Guillen won't bring Crede back unless he proves he can make a solid impact again, meaning he would have to swing the bat very well at Triple-A Charlotte. |
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| The pitching was getting the work done, but MVP-candidate Carlos Quentin made sure the deal was done in pushing the offense for the 13-1 win over the Oakland Athletics. Quentin went 2-for-3 with his 34th homer of the season, totaling four RBIs and two runs scored. |
Our View: Quentin's name is starting to look more and more attractive to MVP voters. He's hitting .375 through August with six homers and 12 RBIs after totaling nine homers and 22 RBIs in July. |
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| Oakland failed to put up a fight in any way, shape, or form today as the White Sox posted the 13-1 win today. Chicago RHP Javier Vazquez is the reason why, pitching eight innings to surrender just one run on four hits with no walks and eight strikeouts. |
Our View: Vazquez went just 0-3 through July but has improved, going 3-1 thus far through August. He has allowed just seven earned runs during that span, none of which have come in either of his last two starts. That's 16 consecutive innings without giving up a run for Vazquez, totaling one walk and 18 strikeouts along the way. |
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| John Danks continues to do fine work for the Pale Hose. The southpaw improved to 10-5 by holding the A's to six hits and one run over six innings. Danks walked five and struck out five. He is 3-0 against the A's this year. |
Our View: The A's helped out by hitting into three double plays over the first five innings. Danks continues to be one of the best surprise stories of the fantasy season. |
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| The White Sox are thinking about calling up pitcher Aaron Poreda for Tuesday's open start against the Mariners, MLB.com reports. "The bottom line is we have a lot of possibilities, but to tell you the truth, nothing has been discussed in depth yet," pitching coach Don Cooper says. Poreda, 21, is 7-8 with a 3.38 ERA over 24 starts split between High-A and Double-A. |
Our View: It sounds like the White Sox aren't quite ready to promote the prized prospect, but it's interesting to know that they are even discussing it. Poreda is a nice keeper league hurler. |
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| Clayton Richard has been recalled from Triple-A Charlotte, according to the AP. Lance Broadway was optioned to Charlotte as the adjoining move. |
Our View: Richard was 0-2 with a 10.38 ERA and 2.23 WHIP over three starts with the Sox in his previous stint this season, and does not merit fantasy consideration this time around. |
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| Lance Broadway has been sent down to Triple-A Charlotte, according to the Houston Chronicle. |
Our View: Broadway earned a win Thursday in a solid effort against the Royals, but the Sox sent him down to add depth to the bullpen. |
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| White Sox outfielder Carlos Quentin was hit by a pitch on Thursday for the sixth consecutive game, and is the only player to have "accomplished" the feat since 1920, according to the AP. |
Our View: Quentin has been a target throughout his career, dating back to the minor leagues, and he currently leads the major leagues with 20 HBP this season. |
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| The Chicago White Sox tied a major-league record by hitting a home run in four consecutive at-bats, according to the AP. The event happened in the sixth inning, with Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Alexei Ramirez and Juan Uribe doing the deed off of Royals pitchers Joel Peralta and Robinson Tejada. |
Our View: This all happened with two outs in the inning, and it was the first time it occurred since April of last season when Boston accomplished the feat. |
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| Paul Konerko had a big day at the plate for the White Sox, going 3-for-5 with a home run, run scored and RBI in Chicago's 9-2 win over the Royals. |
Our View: Konerko is struggling through a miserable year, but he is now hitting .333 in August with three home runs. Whether or not this is just a two week episode a rebound to a poor season remains to be seen. |
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| White Sox pitcher Lance Broadway earned his first win of the season by throwing 5.1 innings and allowing two earned runs on nine hits in the team's 9-2 win over Kansas City. |
Our View: Broadway threw 100 pitches, 62 of them for strikes, and he will be in the starting rotation for the time being. |
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| The White Sox put the shutout win on the Royals tonight, giving LHP Mark Buehrle a stage to shine. Buehrle pitched seven innings of shutout baseball, giving up five hits with no walks and five strikeouts. |
Our View: Buehrle evens out at 10-10 on the season, touting an ERA of 3.77. He has an eerie pattern of two wins followed by two losses working, but for just the second time over his last eight starts, he failed to surrender a single home run. |
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| White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen has tabbed the recently-promoted Lance Broadway to start Thursday's finale against Kansas City, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: It will be his first start at the Major League level this season, and second start of his career. He faced the Royals back on Sept. 27, 2007, pitching six shutout innings and picking up the win. |
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| Joe Crede, whose minor-league rehab assignment has been stalled by continuing back problems, might resume playing this week for Triple-A Charlotte, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Manager Ozzie Guillen said, "They said he was better Monday. He's taken medicine, and he feels better. I think he'll start to play this week."
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Our View: Crede will be a risk to remain healthy when he returns to the Sox, and is only worth holding onto in AL-only leagues. |
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| Ozzie Guillen is yet to name D.J. Carrasco Chicago's starting pitcher for Thursday (in place of the injured Jose Contreras), as the manager is reluctant to pull Carrasco from the bullpen, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Guillen said, "If I use Carrasco for one day, I'll lose him for three or four days in the bullpen."
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Our View: If the Sox had Scott Linebrink, the bullpen would be fine, meaning Carrasco would likely start. Lance Broadway is among the candidates in the mix for Thursday's start. |
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| Veteran hurler Javier Vazquez had it working off the mound this evening, pushing his White Sox to an impressive 9-0 win over the Royals. Vazquez pitched eight innings, allowing five hits, one walk, and earning 10 strikeouts. |
Our View: Vazquez moves to 9-10 on the season with a 4.50 ERA. He is 2-1 this month with seven walks versus 21 strikeouts. |
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| The White Sox put the smack down on the Royals this evening, winning 9-0 with a splash of offense from outfielder Jermaine Dye . Dye went 2-for-4 with his 26th double and 28th home run of the season, posting three RBIs and two runs scored on the night. |
Our View: Dye improves to a .302 average on the season, though his pace ha slowed in August, having hit .341 in July versus just .211 in August. Hoewver, he now carries four homers on the month with nine RBIs and 10 runs scored. |
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| White Sox left fielder Carlos Quentin was scratched from Tuesday night's lineup because of general soreness from getting hit by pitches in five consecutive games, according to ChicagoSports.com. He is listed as day-to-day. |
Our View: Quentin felt swelling and numbness while taking early batting practice. Paul Konerko was inserted in the lineup and will play first base, with Nick Swisher moving to left field. |
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| Nick Swisher was the lone White Sox batter to produce two hits on Monday night as he went 2-for-3 at the plate to raise his average to .234. |
Our View: Swisher is just 12 for his last 57 (.211) and was in the eighth hole on this night. He has been a pretty big disappointment in Chicago after many assumed he would have a big year moving to a home park that so clearly favors the hitter. It just hasn't happened. |
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| John Danks had a no-hitter going into the seventh inning but he ended up being saddled with his fifth loss of the year, and first since May 24th, after allowing two runs over seven innings against the Red Sox. |
Our View: Danks was simply out-pitched by Josh Beckett on this night but he still pitched a masterful game with nine K, two BB and just two hits allowed. After a run of four sub par outings, Danks has allowed just three runs over his last two starts and has still won six of his last seven decisions. |
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| Scott Linebrink continues a slow progression with his injured shoulder and the team is hopeful that he will be ready to go by September 1st, according to MLB.com. "It's not 100 percent by any means. We're battling through some stuff and there's some discomfort, but that's part of it. I just have to accept that and work through it." |
Our View: Linebrink's problems are all muscular, which at this point is good news. This injury has put a halt to a great first season in Chicago as Linebrink has posted a 2.31 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP. |
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| Franklyn German has been traded from the Pirates to the White Sox for a player to be named, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. |
Our View: The reliever shouldn't hold any fantasy value with Chicago this season. |
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| Carlos Quentin hit his 32nd home run of the season, a two-run shot, and the White Sox took down Boston. |
Our View: Quentin was always a good prospect, but Arizona soured on him, and shipped him to Chicago, who is now reaping the rewards right alongside fantasy owners. |
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| Gavin Floyd won his 12th game of the season, though it was not one of his better efforts. In 5.1 innings against Boston, Floyd surrendered five earned runs on seven hits. |
Our View: Floyd has been a solid performer for fantasy owners this season, with a nice win total, ERA and WHIP. |
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| D.J. Carrasco is expected to take Jose Contreras' next start in the rotation, which will be Thursday against the Royals, according to the Chicago Tribune. |
Our View: The newly recalled Lance Broadway will work as a reliever. Carrasco is worth targeting, as he holds a 2.57 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over 21 innings with Chicago this season, with 18 strikeouts. |
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| Boone Logan has been optioned to Triple-A Charlotte, according to the Chicago Tribune. The Sox recalled Chris Getz from Charlotte as the adjoining move. |
Our View: Logan failed to impress the Sox this season, as he held a 5.36 ERA and 1.59 WHIP over 40.1 innings over relief, with three losses. |
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| Chris Getz has been recalled from Triple-A Charlotte, according to the Chicago Tribune. Pitcher Boone Logan has been optioned to Charlotte as the corresponding move. |
Our View: Getz is good defensively and could work as an infielder and outfielder, but won't like get enough at-bats for him to merit fantasy consideration. |
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| Lance Broadway has been recalled from Triple-A Charlotte, according to the Chicago Tribune. The team placed Jose Contreras on the 15-day DL after rupturing his left Achilles. |
Our View: He will start out as a reliever, and it remains to be seen if he will be a candidate to replace Contreras in the rotation, who will miss the remainder of the 2008 campaign. Broadway could be worth a look in AL-only leagues if you need some help. |
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| Jose Contreras has been officially placed on the 15-day DL, after suffering a season-ending ruptured left Achilles, according to the Chicago Tribune. Lance Broadway has been recalled from Triple-A Charlotte as the corresponding move. |
Our View: The 37-year-old hurler's career in Chicago could be over. He has one year left on his contract. |
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| Updating news on White Sox hurler Jose Contreras and his Achilles injury, doctors confirm a full rupture of the tendon has occured, definitively ending his 2008 season and possibly his career, according to ChicagoSports.com. |
Our View: There is no word on when he will have surgery, but athletes take months to recover. He will be 37-years-old next season and although he is one of the best-conditioned athletes on the White Sox, Contreras may not be able to recover. |
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| White Sox pitcher Jose Contreras ruptured his left Achilles' tendon and left Saturday's game against the Boston Red Sox in the second inning, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: With two outs and a man on second, Jacoby Ellsbury hit a sharp grounder to first base. Contreras got a late start to cover the base and couldn't handle Nick Swisher's wide throw. Contreras ran past the bag, then fell to the ground at the end of the infield while trying to avoid Ellsbury. Contreras writhed in pain on the ground, clutching his ankle. He needed help to walk off the field. D.J. Carrrasco relieved him and got out of the inning with no runs. Contreras was activated before the game. He had been on the 15-day disabled list with right elbow tendinitis and hadn't started since July 13 at Texas. We will update news as the severity of the injury comes forth. |
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| Orlando Cabrera scored a run, had two hits and knocked in two runs from the leadoff spot for the White Sox on Friday. |
Our View: Cabrera has produced two hits in five of the past 10 games, though all of those hits have only boosted his average from .264 to .268. |
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| Mark Buehrle threw seven shutout innings before allowing a run without getting an out in the eighth inning against the Red Sox on Friday as he improved to 9-10 on the year. |
Our View: Buehrle walked two and struck out eight, only the second time in 24 starts that he has recorded that many. Buehrle had been torched for 22 hits and 12 runs his last two starts, but tonight's strong outing lowered his ERA back below four to 3.94. |
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| Joe Crede had an epidural injection for his aching back earlier this week to help alleviate the pain, according to the Chicago Tribune. |
Our View: Obviously Crede has suffered a setback in his recovery, and the plan doesn't include him being back on the minor league field until early next week in the best case scenario. At this point, even when he returns to the Sox, Crede will be a major question mark, one not worth counting on in most cases. |
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| Scott Linebrink isn't close to throwing a bullpen session, this according to the Chicago Tribune. The report noted that the White Sox set up man isn't expected to be available until late August at the earliest. |
Our View: Linebrink even refused to offer up a possible return when asked. His fantasy value rested in leagues that awarded holds, and as a possible replacement if an untimely injury were to strike Jenks. |
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| Joe Crede is still yet to play a rehab game with Triple-A Charlotte since being scratched from last Saturday's game due to back stiffness, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Manager Ozzie Guillen said, "It's weird. He disappears. Last year, we don't know anything for five months. Last time I see trainer Herm Schneider, he said he hadn't heard anything from anyone yet."
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Our View: Fantasy owners should not count on Crede, and Juan Uribe and Josh Fields will continue to handle the workload at third base. |
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| White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski went 0-for-5 in his team's loss to the Tigers, dropping his batting average to .288. |
Our View: Pierzynski is still a valuable fantasy player, especially at catcher. He was hitting well in August, and that should resume in time. |
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| White Sox pitcher Javier Vazquez lost his tenth game of the season by surrendering five runs in seven innings in a loss to Detroit. |
Our View: Vazquez has given up at least three earned runs in every start except one since June. Despite that, his high strikeout totals and passable WHIP make him a solid option for AL-only leagues. |
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| Josh Fields has not started a game in the month of August, in part because of his poor defensive play, reports WhiteSox.com. "He is still working on it, but we need him to step it up and be better in the field," Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said. |
Our View: His play in the field has been poor, but his offense has not been spectacular either. He has just 22 at-bats, but he is hitting just .182 with no home runs. Stay away from him for now in fantasy leagues. |
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| John Danks kept Detroit's offense in check Wednesday, limiting the Tigers to one run on four hits and a walk while striking out six over 6 2/3 innings. The lefty moved to 9-4 on the year. |
Our View: Danks hasn't lost since May 24, even though he hadn't been very good over his last four starts. |
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| Jim Thome provided most the offense for the White Sox Wednesday night, belting a three-run homer and scoring two runs in a 5-1 win over the Tigers. The dinger was Thome's 22nd of the year. |
Our View: Thome got off to a slow start this year but has been very good since June. |
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| Jose Contreras, who is recovering from right elbow tendinitis, is expected to be activated from the DL to start Saturday against the Red Sox, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. He has been out since July 18. |
Our View: Contreras surrendered 12 earned runs over his last two starts with Chicago, but his ailing elbow played a part, and he could prove to be a solid contributor during the stretch run of the fantasy season if healthy. |
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| Carlos Quentin continues to put the White Sox on his shoulder. He went 4-for-7 with a homer, two runs, and two RBI in Tuesday's 14-inning win over the Tigers. His 29 long balls lead the AL. |
Our View: If not for the efforts of Josh Hamilton, more people would probably be talking about Quentin as the year's most surprising offensive talent. He could be in the MVP discussion once it heats up. |
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| Nick Swisher didn't start the game on Tuesday night, but he ended it with a three-run homer in the bottom of the 14th inning. The White Sox beat the Tigers 10-8. |
Our View: Swisher has seen his playing time reduced since the Ken Griffey trade, but he will still rotate into the lineup and get pinch-hit chances. He still has a spot in AL-only formats. |
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| Joe Crede has ended his rehab assignment and is at least five days away from returning to baseball activities. The third baseman is out due to back issues. "We sent him back for an MRI, CAT scan and he’s all clean and good as far as that’s concerned," general manager Ken Williams tells the AP. "Just a little bit of pressing on the nerve right now. We’ve got to alleviate that before we can get him back out into rehab. On one hand there’s a delay in the process, but the prognosis is good and we’ll go from there." |
Our View: Crede has been dealing with back issues for a few years, and fantasy owners shouldn't be too optimistic about this situation. Josh Fields and Juan Uribe will continue to see action at third base. |
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| The White Sox promoted reliever Adam Russell from Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday, the Chicago Tribune reports. |
Our View: The 25-year-old right-hander continues to rack up a lot of frequent flyer miles. He doesn't have any fantasy value. |
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| The trade deadline acquisition of Ken Griffey Jr. has resulted in White Sox captain Paul Konerko losing at-bats. The inconsistent Konerko is hitting just .212 with 10 home runs and 36 RBI on the season, this in 302 at-bats. |
Our View: The right-handed sluggler is receiving playing time only against left-handers and that doesn't look to change heading into August and September, save an injury to Griffey or Swisher. In leagues with shallow benches it could be time for owners to move on without Konerko. |
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| Clayton Richard was sent to the minor leagues today, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: Richard had no fantasy value, not with a 2.23 WHIP and 10.38 ERA. |
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| Scott Linebrink, who is recovering from right shoulder inflammation, has increased the distance in his throwing program from 90 feet to 120, according to the Chicago Tribune. He said, "I had some zip on the ball. It's just a matter of getting through the mental side of it. Your body wants to protect things that are hurt, so I have to get through that to the point where I can get out there and let it go without thinking about it." |
Our View: The team is hopeful their top setup man can be ready to return in mid-August. |
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| A.J. Pierzynski had two hits, including his ninth home run of the year, in the White Sox 14-3 thrashing at the hands of the Royals. |
Our View: Pierzynski was at the center of yet another brawl on this day as he took a punch to the head from Miguel Olivo who ignited a bench clearing brawl after being hit by a pitch. |
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| Clayton Richard was simply torched on Sunday as he allowed nine runs, six earned, over 4.1 innings on Sunday. Richard fell to 0-2 as his ERA rose to 10.38. |
Our View: Richard may find himself sent down after this effort, though he did walk only one batter on the afternoon, albeit a small consolation prize in an effort as poor as this one. |
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| Joe Crede (back) was scratched from a second straight start at Triple-A Charlotte on Sunday putting his return to the White Sox this week on Wednesday in serious doubt, according to the Chicago Tribune. |
Our View: The Sox will continue to give Juan Uribe some looks at third base as Josh Fields has failed to take advantage of the chance to shine hitting just .200 in his first 20 AB. |
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| White Sox third baseman Joe Crede was scratched from Triple-A Charlotte's lineup Saturday night but is expected to continue his rehabilitation efforts today, according to ChicagoSports.com. |
Our View: Crede, on a minor league rehabilitation assignment, felt twinges in his back during pre-game warmups, according to the Charlotte Observer. Crede is expected to return to the Knights' lineup Sunday night, with Jose Contreras scheduled to pitch in a rehab assignment. |
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| Jermaine Dye went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Saturday's 9-7 loss to the Royals. |
Our View: Dye has 26 homers, with three coming over his last seven games. He should remain active in all leagues. |
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| Mark Buehrle issued eight earned runs on 14 hits over a mere 4.1 innings in Saturday's disappointing 9-7 loss to the Royals, with no walks and one strikeout. |
Our View: He has lost back-to-back starts and falls to 8-10 for the season, with a 4.07 ERA. |
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| Ken Griffey Jr. left Saturday's game against the Royals due to leg cramps, according to the AP. |
Our View: He is listed as day-to-day. He should be fine, as he was in good spirits in the dugout while talking with his new team-mates after leaving the game. |
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| Ken Griffey Jr. will hit second and play center field in the White Sox game against the Royals and pitcher Kyle Davies tonight, according to the Chicago Tribune. |
Our View: Griffey has six career at-bats against Davies, and has three hits and one walk against him. If you are in an AL-only league and have Griffey, it won't hurt to leave him in your lineup tonight. |
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| Javier Vazquez finally showed something on Friday night as he held the Royals to two runs over six innings in his eighth win of the season. |
Our View: Vazquez only struck out three Royals, but he also walked only two batters as he let his defenders do the work. Vazquez continues to be terribly inconsistent, but the potential is still lurking for a huge finish. |
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| Ken Griffey Jr. had two hits and two RBI in his first game wearing a White Sox uniform while wearing number 17 for the Sox. |
Our View: Griffey hit seventh on this night, though he could still produce a fair amount of RBI from that spot if the rest of the lineup produces like it should in front of him. |
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| While everyone, including the newly acquired Ken Griffey Jr., seems to be happy with his move from Cincinnati to Chicago, it doesn't seem to make much sense when one studies the Pale Sox roster. Junior will presumably play center field and you have to assume his at-bats will mirror those in Cincinnati. With this move, somebody on the Sox roster will lost at-bats, and that player won't be Nick Swisher, who has played the most center field this year. |
Our View: Junior’s value doesn't improve with his move to the junior circuit, not outside of AL Only leagues where he will now reside. The ball parks (U.S. Cellular and Great American) are similar and it's not in his favor that he will be learning new pitchers in a league he's been absent from for several years.
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