Thompson making positive impression on Chicago White Sox

With each passing day, Trayce Thompson is making a name for himself.

The White Sox' rookie outfielder made his second straight start Wednesday night and he continues to make a positive impression.

"We've had him the last few years in spring training, but you see him on a limited basis," manager Robin Ventura said. "Now you get to see him really go out there and you get to see what's he got. He's responded well and I think that's the fun part of having a guy coming up through your system that you've seen, and you see him come up here and handle himself the way he has."

Thompson, who hit his first major-league home run Tuesday night, is still best known for his famous basketball family.

His brother Klay is a big-time scorer for the NBA champion Golden State Warriors. His father Mychal and other brother Mychel also played in the NBA.

Trayce Thompson is trying to branch out as a major-league baseball player, but he also enjoys sharing the spotlight with his family, particularly Klay.

"It's funny," Trayce said. "I know everyone knows I'm his brother, but that's probably who I was going to be for a while. But it's cool. It's cool he supports us. I know my dad wore one of the (White Sox) fleeces for the (NBA) championship parade. They support me, and for them to support me publicly has been pretty cool."

Thompson's mother was also a standout track athlete and she played volleyball at the University of San Francisco.

But Trayce still insists his family is not that different from most.

"When we're together, we're just like any other family," he said. "We're just a normal family. You could ask Tyler (Saladino) or Carlos Sanchez who have been around us, we're just like any other family, we're just like their families, too. We're just normal people, but we just happen to be very blessed to do what we love as jobs. It's been a blessing, and it's been a lot of fun."

LaRoche sits again:

Slumping designated hitter Adam LaRoche was held out of the White Sox' lineup for the second straight game Wednesday, mainly because the Angels started Andrew Heaney, another left-hander.

LaRoche, a left-handed hitter, is expected to be back in the Sox' lineup Friday against the Cubs and right-hander Kyle Hendricks.

"There's time to go in the cage and work on it and clear your head," manager Robin Ventura said.

"We're going to need him to hit well if we're going to make a run at this. We want him to be a part of it. He's an important piece of that."

For now, LaRoche is in a platoon situation.

"Anybody can lose their job, but I know we're better if he hits and produces like we know he can," Ventura said. "I hope he does well enough that he stays in there, but everybody has the ability to not play if somebody else is doing better."