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Jones better, but still uncertain on return

Injured relief pitcher Nate Jones said he's feeling better following an MRI that identified a lower-back issue and a subsequent epidural that alleviated the pain.

In spring training, Jones was sidelined with a strained glute muscle, and he landed on the disabled list April 4 with a left-hip strain.

"The epidural did help, and it feels like we're moving in the right direction now," Jones said. "The discomfort, I felt like it was more in my hip area. It was when I landed mostly that it affected me. When I'm trying to throw a pitch and worry about the pain in my hip, trying to throw a strike, you saw how it ended.

"It didn't work out too well."

Before going on the DL, Jones pitched in two games during the season-opening series against Minnesota. The right-hander failed to retire any of the five Twins batters he faced.

"That was the most frustrating part," he said. "Physically I felt fine, conditioning and stuff like that. But when you're thinking about something else, when you're landing and have that discomfort and you're concentrating on something other than the mitt, you saw the results. It's pretty bad."

The Sox' bullpen has been pretty bad over the first 12 games, and a healthy Jones would figure to give the group a needed boost. For now, his return is up in the air.

"I don't have a clue," he said. "We're just taking it day by day and just making sure I feel all the way good and 100 percent. Make sure we've got all the symptoms erased before we start throwing so we don't aggravate it again. There's no timetable."

Beckham update:

Still on a rehab assignment with Class AA Birmingham, second baseman Gordon Beckham (left-oblique strain) started taking batting practice and groundballs Friday, but he still isn't ready to play in a game.

Beckham did play in one game, on April 3, and apparently aggravated the injury.

"Just being cautious," manager Robin Ventura said. "Every time you feel something or it doesn't feel right, then that kind of sets him back, so right now he's just taking a couple rounds of BP and taking some groundballs. I think he'll be in (a game) in a few days."

Going deep:

Adam Eaton went 2-for-3 Saturday, extending his multihit game streak to five. Alex Rios was the last White Sox hitter to accomplish the feat, in 2012.

The 5-foot-8, 185-pound Eaton also hit his first home run of the season, a solo shot off Cleveland starter Justin Masterson. "I don't know," Eaton said. "I just got lucky."

Word challenge:

After his start last Sunday at Kansas City, White Sox ace Chris Sale dropped an "indubitably" in his media session.

Following Friday's start against the Indians at U.S. Cellular Field, Sale used "juxtaposition."

It seems rotation mate John Danks has challenged Sale to expand his vocabulary, and the trend figures to continue through the season.

Putrid pitching spoils another hitting barrage

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