Sox add catcher Lucy to roster
CLEVELAND -- The White Sox are expected to add a minor-league pitcher or two by Tuesday, mainly to help a bullpen that has been blitzed for 35 earned runs on 47 hits and 22 walks in the last 30¿ innings.
The Sox did bring up catcher Donny Lucy from Class AAA Charlotte on Saturday, the first day 25-man rosters were eligible to expand.
Lucy, the White Sox' second-round pick in the 2004 draft, split time between Charlotte and AA Birmingham this season, batting .255 with 20 doubles, 6 home runs, 30 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 106 games.
After batting just .200 in 19 games with Charlotte, Lucy wasn't expecting to get a call from the Sox.
"I can't believe it,'' he said. "I'm sure every guy in here has gone through the same experience. But it's shocking when that Double-A or Triple-A manager tells you that you are not playing today because you are going to Cleveland. That's what (Charlotte manager) Marc Bombard told me. It's pretty shocking.''
Lucy, 25, finally arrived in the major leagues after playing college baseball at Stanford and spending nearly four full seasons in the minor leagues.
"Right after the draft, you go pretty high and there are a lot of expectations and I expect a lot out of myself,'' Lucy said. "A lot of people don't realize how difficult the minor-league levels can be, especially as a catcher. There are not many guys like (Atlanta's Brian) McCann, who just shoots through the system. Catchers really have to learn the system, learn from the pitching coaches and call a game.''
Manager Ozzie Guillen said Lucy is going to share time with the White Sox' other two catchers, A.J. Pierzynski and Toby Hall.
When Guillen was watching his son Oney play for the Sox' Rookie League Bristol team in August, he talked to roving catcher instructor John Orton about Lucy.
"(Orton) said yes, if we need some help from the minor-league system at the catcher's position, this is the kid we should use,'' Guillen said. "He's the one that's ahead of everyone. He needs to work on a couple things, but (Orton) said he can definitely play at the big-league level.''
Welcome back: Infielder Alex Cintron was reinstated from the restricted list on Saturday.
Cintron was placed on the bereavement list for the third time this season on Aug. 21. He was transferred to the restricted list on Tuesday.
It's been a difficult season for Cintron, who is signed through next season. In addition to batting .217, he's never seemed to be 100 percent healthy after having off-season elbow surgery.
The White Sox also activated outfielder Luis Terrero off the disabled list Saturday.
Terrero has been out since July 24 with a strained left groin.