Catching up with the White Sox: Charges for Jenks, but not DUI

Here’s a quick check around the Web the past few days to catch up on some onetime personalities of the White Sox.

No DUI for Jenks:

Former White Sox closer Bobby Jenks will face charges of leaving the scene of an accident and reckless driving but will not face DUI charges, according to a report in news-press.com.

Jenks, who was arrested under DUI suspicions last month in Fort Myers, Fla., had a .000 reading on a Breathalyzer test, said Samantha Syoen, a spokeswoman for the state attorney’s office.

Jenks told Lee County Sheriff’s deputies he had taken too many muscle relaxers and that he left a Fort Myers strip club because he had just hit a vehicle there, according to a police report.

Allen send down again:

Onetime White Sox phenom Brandon Allen is still all potential, not all star. AthleticsNation.com reported Monday that Oakland designated Allen for assignment to make room on the team’s roster for Daric Barton.

Allen, 26, is out of options, so the A’s have 10 days to trade him or release him. The Sox traded the slugging first baseman to the Diamondbacks during a pennant push in 2009 for middle reliever Tony Pena.

He bounced between the minors and major league club for Arizona until the Diamondbacks traded him last July to Oakland, which promptly shipped him to Triple A.

The highlight of his career came after he was recalled in August in time to become the second play in history to home into the upper deck at new Yankee Stadium.

Quentin hits from a chair:

Former White Sox outfielder Carlos Quentin has been taking batting practice while seated in a chair while rehabilitating his surgically repaired right knee during these first few days of the regular season, according to a report by Corey Brock on mlb.com.

“Things are progressing. ... It’s still healing. I’m still on schedule,” Quentin said. “Everything has gone great.”

Quentin has arthroscopic surgery during spring training. San Diego manager Bud Black indicated that Quentin will need to get some at-bats and time in the outfield with one of the Padres Minor League affiliates — possibly Triple-A Tucson or Class A Lake Elsinore — before he’s activated from the disabled list.

A tragic anniversary:

Bleacherreport.com blogger Steven Goldman notes that Monday was the 30th anniversary of the death of White Sox right-hander Francisco Barrios, who died of a heart attack brought on by the abuse of drugs and alcohol.

Barrios, who was 28 when he died, had been a mainstay with “The South Side Hit Men” of 1977. He was trying to make a comeback in his native Mexico when his heart gave out.

He was one of the first players to succumb to what would prove to be, just a few years later, an epidemic of drug abuse in the major leagues.

Thome starts at first:

Jim Thome found himself in the starting lineup and playing first base in the Phillies series finale against the Pirates on Sunday, according to a report by Todd Zolecki on mlb.com.

It was the first time he started a game at first base since June 13, 2007, when he played for the White Sox. “How can you not be excited?” he said. “This is what it’s all about.”

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said he started Thome to get him some at-bats and because Thome had faced Pirates right-hander James McDonald in spring training.

But Thome went 0-for-3, although he turned a 3-6-3 double play in the fourth inning. There was no start for him on Monday though. “It’s too early to start playing him two days in a row,” Manuel said.