Inf ante added for some bull pen relief
ANAHEIM, Calif. — A day after struggling designated hitter/ outfielder Cody Asche was optioned to Class AAA Charlotte, the White Sox recalled right- hander Gregory Infante.
Infante, 29, who hasn’t pitched in the majors since appearing in four games for the Sox all the way back in 2010, expressed thanks to coaches and managers who he said helped him climb back.
One of them was his winter- ball manager in Venezuela, former Sox manager Ozzie Guillen.
“He told me to have confidence inmy fastball and to attack the strike zone,” Infante said. “To be confident inmy stuff. I did it in Venezuela, and it was good for me. I translated that work to spring training, Triple- A, and now I hope to carry it over here in the majors.
“When someone like him tells you the way the game should be played and the way you should approach the game, you have to take that because he’s a person who is very knowledgeable.”
Infante was 0- 1 with a 2.08 ERA, three saves and 16 strikeouts in 13 innings at Charlotte. With starters Dylan Covey and Mike Pelfrey struggling to get through five innings, the Sox are wary of their strong bullpen getting overworked on this 10- game road trip. Infante pitched a scoreless eighth inning Monday.
“We seem to be running off the same guys,” manager Rick Renteria said. “Maybe it gives us a chance to give them a little break and be able to use them in other situations that are more impactful to the game.”
Shields throws
James Shields ( right lat), who hasn’t pitched in 29 days, played light catch and felt well enough to get started on a throwing program Tuesday, he said.
“Kind of see if I’m feeling anything, and I felt great today,” he said. “Positive and in the right direction.”
Shields, 3- 1 with a 1.62 ERA in four starts, is antsy but says he won’t force the timeline.
“I know it’s a process, and I’m going to stick to the process,” he said. “It has been fairly frustrating for me, but today was a great day.”
Anderson back
Shortstop Tim Anderson returned after missing three days to attend the funeral of his best friend. Branden Moss, 23, was shot outside a Tuscaloosa, Alabama, bar after coming to the assistance of a person being assaulted by four men.
“Someone so close to me, it was mandatory for me to be there,” Anderson said Monday. “For his mom to giveme a huge role in his funeral, I got to address something and play an important part. For her to turn it over to me was relieving for me.”
Renteria will put Anderson in the starting lineup Tuesday, giving him a day to get reacclimated after being off four days.