Thome left out of Sox' lineup

SEATTLE -- Jim Thome knows his batting average is just .218. He knows his 38 strikeouts are the third most in the American League.

And the 37-year-old designated hitter especially knows there are a growing number of White Sox fans that think he's washed up.

"I just think that's going to be very common,'' Thome said. "It's always out there. You as a player have to block that out. You know yourself, how you feel. You know yourself and how you work. You put that time in and you hope the rewards are there.''

Thome was held out of the starting lineup Saturday night, partly because the Mariners started a left-hander (Jarrod Washburn), and partly because he is on the Sox' long list of slumping hitters.

"When you're a Hall of Famer, you will get a hit against a lefty,'' said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. "Tomorrow's a day game and this gives me an opportunity to rest him a little bit, give him a break.''

Thome appeared to break out of his rut with a long home run in his final trip to the plate during Friday night's 4-2 win over the Mariners.

The left-handed DH will try building on the hit when he returns to the lineup today, but Thome has been around too long to get pushy.

"It's a climb,'' Thome said. "You have to pick away at it. That's the part of the game that we as players have to put in perspective. You can't go from .200 to .300 over night.

"You have to pick away at it and understand what your ability is. Believe in yourself, that's the big thing. You have to have experience.''

Thome has plenty of that, and so do most of the White Sox' other scuffling hitters.

"With our club, we haven't swung the bats real great," Thome said. "We pick that up, with what the pitching has done, I think we all of a sudden become a much better club. It is a long haul.

"I've had some Aprils and beginning of Mays where I haven't done so well, but you don't want to say, 'Well, I had those and it's going to turn around.' At the same time, you know it's such a long haul and you have to keep grinding. Along the way, you make your adjustments, too. We've been working on that, too. You put the time in, you put the work in and I always say you eventually get rewarded.''

Paul Konerko was the Sox' designated hitter Saturday, and Nick Swisher was back in the lineup at first base.