White Sox' Anderson hopes to stay hot vs. Tigers
DETROIT -- Chicago and Detroit are anticipating the return of run-producers to their lineup in the near future.
The White Sox were minus the bat of slugger Matt Davidson on Saturday for a fourth straight game, but didn't need him as Chicago got two home runs from Tim Anderson plus one apiece from Jose Abreu and Daniel Palka in an 8-4 victory over the Tigers.
The corner infielder/DH Anderson has been sidelined since mid-week with a sore back.
Detroit sees first baseman Miguel Cabrera as possibly days away from coming off the disabled list, where he has been since being sidelined early in the month with a left hamstring injury.
Cabrera was slated for early batting practice plus ground ball and agility drills prior to Sunday's game. The Tigers haven't said whether Cabrera will go on a brief rehab assignment.
Manager Rick Renteria has right-hander James Shields (1-4, 4.62 ERA) pitching for Chicago against Detroit left-hander Blaine Hardy (0-0, 3.46 ERA), a reliever-turned-starter making his third start in a row.
Shields, 9-8 with a 4.46 ERA in 26 career starts against the Tigers, faced Detroit in an early season series but didn't get a decision. He pitched five innings, allowing three runs and eight hits.
This season Shields has been more effective when able to get to mid-game. Opponents are hitting .263 against him the first time through the order, .188 the second time and .217 the third time.
Hardy hasn't faced the White Sox this season and is 1-0 with a 5.06 ERA against them in 18 career relief appearances. He's been fairly effective through three innings but has been cuffed around some after that.
Opponents are hitting .714 against the southpaw when he faces hitters a third time, .353 the second time but only .222 the first time.
Anderson jammed his right thumb against Baltimore on Wednesday. It didn't hurt his power bat but may have been a factor in the three errors he made Saturday, two on one play. The shortstop had a home run in a three-hit game at Detroit on Friday.
"It's helping me swing at better pitches," he said of the thumb. "I won't swing at a bad pitch, to avoid hurting it.
"It's feeling better every day."
Catcher Alfredo Gonzalez, brought up to at least temporarily take the roster spot of catcher Welington Castillo as he serves his 80-game PED suspension, made his major league debut Saturday.
He struck out three times and popped out to second, in line with his .159 career batting average at the Triple-A level.
The White Sox have brought catching coordinator John Orton for this White Sox road trip, at the suggestion of the front office, to work with Gonzalez and starter Omar Narvaez.
"I thought it made sense," Renteria said. "A good suggestion."
Detroit has given second baseman Dixon Machado a couple days off after his batting average fell to .206. Hitting coaches Lloyd McClendon and Phil Clark are trying to retool a swing that has gotten too long and seen him hitting too many soft fly balls instead of driving the ball into gaps.
"I told him, this is his career, not my career," manager Ron Gardenhire said after a chat with Machado. "We talked about it, swing changes that might help get the ball out of the air and get more ground balls and line-drives. This is a big park."
Detroit also announced that right-hander Jordan Zimmermann, on the disabled list with a shoulder problem, will make his first rehab start Sunday at Toledo.
The Los Angeles Angels come to Detroit for a four-game series beginning Monday and Angels manager Mike Scioscia said in New York that rookie sensation Shohei Ohtani will pitch in the series.
"We do anticipate, if everything goes well, that he's pitching sometime in Detroit," Scioscia said. "As always, we will see how he is in between. We have no reason to think anything is different. He'll throw a light (bullpen), then we'll get into a full gorilla (bullpen) and then we'll see when he folds back in."
