Swisher catches some downtime

SEATTLE -- During batting practice before Friday night's game against the Mariners, Nick Swisher made a spectacular running catch while playing first base.

After tossing the ball behind his back to a fan in Safeco Field stands, Swisher raised his arms over his head and did a victory dash into right field.

On the surface, the 27-year-old Swisher was as upbeat as ever.

But a drastic downturn at the plate landed Swisher on the bench for the game against Seattle, and he might be held out of the lineup again tonight.

"Just to see him be relaxed,'' Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "Don't worry about the at-bats and get back and start over again. I think this break has to be more mental than physical.''

After getting off to an impressive start, Swisher is batting .143 (10-for-70) over his last 18 games and .200 overall. He also has struck out 32 times, the second-highest total on the team behind Jim Thome.

"He's going through a tough time right now, but that's everybody else, too,'' Guillen said. "It's important for him to get back on his game."

Guillen said there is a chance another of his slumping hitters, Thome, will sit out tonight. If that's the case, Swisher could play first base with Paul Konerko moving to designated hitter.

Catch of the day: With Nick Swisher out, Brian Anderson started in center field Friday. The seldom-used reserve is expected to be back in the lineup tonight.

"I need Brian to play a couple more games,'' manager Ozzie Guillen said.

Anderson certainly didn't hurt his cause when he made a spectacular catch in the fourth inning. He ran down a Richie Sexson drive and gloved the ball before crashing into the fence.

Rolling along: Jermaine Dye continued heating up Friday, singling in the second inning and driving in a run in the third with a sacrifice fly.

After missing four games in late April with a strained groin, Dye returned and was 1-for-23 on the Sox' 0-6 road trip to Minnesota and Toronto.

"When you don't play for four or five days, you might lose a little timing,'' Dye said. "And we were facing some tough pitchers, especially in Toronto. But if you stick with the same mind-set you've had your whole career and you start hitting the ball hard, sooner or later those hits are going to come.''

Hold the phone: The Sox have talked about bringing Jerry Owens up from Class AAA Charlotte and putting him in the leadoff spot.

There is a chance that will happen this season, but Owens has been struggling at Charlotte. After going 0-for-4 in Friday night's loss to Toledo, the center fielder is batting .235.