A
few roster updates via Scott Merkin:
- Scott Podsednik still has no timetable for his return.
- Jim Thome took better swings in the cage, and starts his rehab assignment in Charlotte on Monday.
- Alex Cintron is back on the bereavement list, with Andy Gonzalez taking his place once again.
With that out of the way, while watching Ozzie Guillen
go match-up crazy once again tonight, I think the injury situations have allowed everybody to become way too comfortable with the Sox carrying seven relievers.
Originally, the rationale was that the relievers may need some backup when they had a stretch of 18 games in 19 days on the calendar. That's understandable, I suppose. But now the Sox are enjoying a stretch that's as friendly to relievers as anything, considering:
- The Sox have off days in four consecutive weeks.
- The Sox don't have to leave Chicago for 17 straight days.
- Sox starters have worked at least six innings in 18 consecutive starts.
With the offense in need of a shake-up, this would've been the perfect time to scale back the bullpen and give Ozzie an extra tool when trying to put together a lineup. Instead, with nobody lighting it up in Triple-A (although Josh Fields is warming up; more later), the Sox are kind of in a holding pattern.
As a result, some Sox relievers are working a ridiculously small amount of innings. Matt Thornton has worked eight innings over 16 appearances on the season, and he's too good to be a LOOGY. It's been a month since Andy Sisco retired three hitters in one outing. Boone Logan has faced two batters in the last eight days.
Thome is targeting the Oakland series, May 21-23, as a return date if he doesn't hurt himself again, and if I had a choice, I'd send Sisco down to Charlotte. He's not doing a bad job, but I don't see how he's going to develop when he's facing one or two hitters every three days. At least we know Logan will be a bullpen lifer; Sisco has the potential to join a rotation with some improvement on his command.
Unfortunately, the Sox have 20 straight games on the calendar after the Oakland series, which conveniently provides another excuse to go seven deep in relief.
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Minor league round-up:
- Charlotte 4, Norfolk 3
- Toby Hall went 0-for-3 in his first game of his rehab assignment, walking once and striking out once. Norfolk only stole one base on him, which isn't bad considering Charlie Haeger was on the mound.
- Speaking of Haeger, the knuckleballer pitched his second consecutive strong outing: 7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. The two walks part is once again key.
- Josh Fields went 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI, and he stole a base. He has a 10-game hitting streak, and three straight multi-hit games, and has raised his average to .254 in the process.
- Kenny Kelly has also been coming on -- he went 2-for-3 with a double and a solo homer today, and is 7-for-13 over his last four games.
- Brian Anderson went 1-for-4 with his second outfield assist; he was also caught stealing.
- Mississippi 2, Birmingham 1
- Nobody's been more inconsistent than Kris Honel, who threw six scoreless inning today, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out five.
- Dewon Day blew the save and took the loss with a stereotypical outing: 2/3 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K.
- Robert Valido had the lone RBI, going 1-for-3, and added a stolen base as well; Sean Smith and Chris Kelly each had two hits.
- Winston-Salem 7, Lynchburg 3
- Aaron Cunningham went 0-for-4 and is in the midst of a 2-for-25 slump.
- Ryan Rodriguez threw 6 1/3 strong innings, allowing two runs (one earned).
- Kannapolis 9, Savannah 2
- Matt Long struck out six in 5 1/3 innings, but Carlos Perez picked up the win by only allowing one hit while finishing the game.
- Chris Carter fell a triple short of the cycle, driving in two and raising his average to .336.
- Lee Cruz hit his first homer of the year, and John Shelby Jr. drove in three runs.