Questions persist over Sox roster
PEORIA, Ariz. -- Since the start of spring training, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen has been peppered with similar questions.
Who's your third baseman? Who's your second baseman? What's the bench going to look like? How's the back end of the bullpen shaping up?
Guillen has patiently tried providing insight, but it's been a fluid situation and he's not been able to offer many specifics.
If Guillen has his way, the 25-man roster will no longer be a mystery after this morning's staff meeting.
"(General manager) Kenny (Williams) called the meeting a half hour earlier,'' Guillen said. "When we leave the meeting, hopefully we set everything up for the good of the players, the good of myself, the good of the ballclub.
"It's not 100 percent we're going to make the ballclub tomorrow, but that's my wish. We've got a couple decisions, real hard ones, but we have to make the decisions.''
Juan Uribe played his old position, shortstop, against the Seattle Mariners on Monday, but he still is likely to win the starting job at second base.
"I think we should have a starting second baseman,'' Guillen said. "(Danny) Richar is not here. Pablo (Ozuna) will play second base, but Pablo's not going to play second base every day. I don't think he can play second base every day.''
Alexei Ramirez is another option at second base, but he's been playing a lot more center field the last week or two, and he can also play shortstop.
Still sliding: The White Sox lost again Monday, and they are 0-6-3 since beating the Cubs 5-3 in Tucson on March 15.
The Sox have had trouble scoring runs during their current skid.
"We've got to pick it up offensively,'' manager Ozzie Guillen said. "We're just not doing what we're supposed to do. We have one week to push the button because the (regular) season is just across the street. Hopefully, the guys that aren't swinging the bats right now start to do it.''
Tracking Toby: After failing to get a hit in his first 11 Cactus League at-bats, Toby Hall singled in his first trip to the plate against Seattle on Monday.
During the first half of camp, Hall was limited to strengthening exercises on the same right shoulder he dislocated last spring.
While he's expected to back up No. 1 catcher A.J. Pierzynski, Hall has not locked up a roster spot yet as the Sox continue looking at Paul Phillips, a nonroster invitee.
"We'll see how he does,'' manager Ozzie Guillen said of Hall. "We're going to continue to play him. I don't worry about that one.''
After Monday's game, Hall said his shoulder feels great.
"I feel better than I did pre-injury,'' Hall said.
Get off the bus: Jim Thome, Jose Contreras, Juan Uribe, Toby Hall and three other members of the White Sox' traveling party flew from Tucson to the Glendale airport on Monday morning and took a limo to Peoria.
The group returned to training camp in similar fashion.
Mariners 3, White Sox 1
White Sox' record: 9-16-3
On the mound: Catcher Toby Hall raved about starter Jose Contreras after the right-hander survived a shaky first and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits in 52/3 innings. D.J. Carrasco pitched 11/3 scoreless innings.
At the plate: Joe Crede drove in the only run, singling after Nick Swisher tripled in the sixth inning. Toby Hall broke an 0-for-11 hitless skid in the Cactus League, singling in the third.
Next: Mark Buehrle starts against the Rockies today in Tucson.
-- Scot Gregor