ISUMatt
August 25th, 2009, 09:14 AM
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/chi-25-white-sox-red-sox-chicagoaug25,0,5813374.story
Jose Contreras made a once-difficult decision easy for the White Sox.
Now comes the tough part.
With Contreras agreeing he should go to the bullpen after lasting just 2 2/3 innings Monday night in a 12-8 pasting by the Red Sox, the White Sox and Jake Peavy must decide whether their prized trade-deadline acquisition is ready to join them as soon as Saturday at Yankee Stadium.
"He's a Cy Young Award winner," pitching coach Don Cooper said, aware Peavy pitched five scoreless innings Monday night for Triple-A Charlotte in his third minor-league rehabilitation start at Gwinnett. "A Cy Young Award winner when he's healthy is better than any option you might have. But I don't know if he's just there yet."
Peavy threw 80 pitches and is recovering from a right ankle injury. But he might not need to be ready to pitch nine innings to satisfy the requirements to rejoin the Sox, who desperately are trying to regain momentum to catch the Tigers in the American League Central.
Manager Ozzie Guillen and Cooper said general manager Ken Williams would make the final decision after consulting with Peavy, who is expected to meet the team Tuesday in Boston.
"If he says he's ready to give us five, six, seven [innings], that might be enough in Kenny's mind," Cooper said. "But if he can't say that, we'll have to go for someone else."
Jose Contreras made a once-difficult decision easy for the White Sox.
Now comes the tough part.
With Contreras agreeing he should go to the bullpen after lasting just 2 2/3 innings Monday night in a 12-8 pasting by the Red Sox, the White Sox and Jake Peavy must decide whether their prized trade-deadline acquisition is ready to join them as soon as Saturday at Yankee Stadium.
"He's a Cy Young Award winner," pitching coach Don Cooper said, aware Peavy pitched five scoreless innings Monday night for Triple-A Charlotte in his third minor-league rehabilitation start at Gwinnett. "A Cy Young Award winner when he's healthy is better than any option you might have. But I don't know if he's just there yet."
Peavy threw 80 pitches and is recovering from a right ankle injury. But he might not need to be ready to pitch nine innings to satisfy the requirements to rejoin the Sox, who desperately are trying to regain momentum to catch the Tigers in the American League Central.
Manager Ozzie Guillen and Cooper said general manager Ken Williams would make the final decision after consulting with Peavy, who is expected to meet the team Tuesday in Boston.
"If he says he's ready to give us five, six, seven [innings], that might be enough in Kenny's mind," Cooper said. "But if he can't say that, we'll have to go for someone else."