Peavy latest White Sox controversy

The White Sox almost made it through one whole month without any controversy.

Almost.

Twenty-three days after manager Ozzie Guillen fired back at former closer Bobby Jenks' critical comments, the Sox and injury-prone starting pitcher Jake Peavy appear to be at odds as the regular season approaches.

Q: What's the problem?

A: On the physical side, a day after throwing 83 pitches in a Cactus League game against the A's on Saturday, Peavy was shut down with rotator-cuff tendinitis.

Q: Is it a serious injury?

A: Not really, according to Peavy and pitching coach Don Cooper.

“From what I understand this is nothing that is completely out of the norm,” Cooper said on the WSCR 670-AM on Monday. “He had a (detached) lat thing, and now the shoulder is giving him a little bit of a problem, so we're going to strengthen that up and take the time now to fix him.”

Q: So everything is fine, right?

A: Hardly.

On the other side, Guillen reportedly is not happy with Peavy, who makes $16 million this season, $17 million next year and has a $22 million club option in 2013 (with a $4 million buyout).

If there's one thing that outrages Guillen, it's players who try to perform when less than 100 percent.

After Peavy was shut down Sunday, this is what the Sox' manager told reporters:

“Jake Peavy will pitch the day I tell him to pitch. He's not going to convince me. I don't care. (He'll pitch) when I get the go-ahead from our pitching coach and medical staff. I'm not going to get the go-ahead from him. I can't. Sorry. I can't.”

That could have been in reference to Peavy saying he could pitch Saturday despite being weakened by a stomach virus.

But the 29-year-old right-hander also did some fast talking last June, when he convinced the White Sox he was good to go despite having fluid in his shoulder.

Less than a month later, Peavy went down for the rest of the season with a detached lat muscle in his posterior right shoulder.

Q: Peavy was ripped Monday on 670 The Score for rushing back too soon, being selfish and calling his own shots on the comeback trail.

Fair?

A: Not according to Peavy, who apparently has razor-sharp hearing. This is what he told reporters Monday:

“Ozzie and the staff have had complete control from the start. It might have been blown out of proportion. I didn't beg. I didn't ask.

“I let those guys make the decision — Don Cooper and (trainer) Herm Schneider and Ozzie. They obviously know I wanted to pitch and stay on schedule. They've known that from Day One. I certainly didn't, as it was portrayed in certain situations, try to beg to get out there.

“I told them I'd do whatever they wanted me to do as a staff, and I pitched. They've had complete control. They know I want to play.”

Q: What has been the most disturbing quote to come out of the Sox' camp the past two days?

A: This is what Peavy told reporters Sunday: “It's kind of been coming since that first time.”

In other words, Peavy's shoulder has been feeling steadily worse since his first Cactus League start on March 4.

Maybe that's why Guillen is so upset, because he was apparently unaware of Peavy's discomfort.

Q: Where do Peavy and the White Sox go from here?

A: Peavy said he took a large dose of anti-inflammatory medicine Sunday, and he will be examined by Dr. Anthony Romeo on Wednesday.

Dr. Romeo performed the surgery to repair the detached lat in July.

Q: What's the best-case scenario for Peavy?

A: Difficult to say, but maybe the shoulder bounces back and he returns to pitching in a week or so.

Q: What's the worst-case scenario?

A: Peavy needs rotator-cuff surgery and misses the upcoming season.

Q: What has been the most annoying part of the latest Peavy saga?A: All of the closet medical experts coming out and firing on Peavy and the White Sox over a setback that has been expected all along.