White Sox eager for Linebrink's return

BOSTON - Manager Ozzie Guillen said the White Sox need to make only one addition for the final month of the season.

"We'll be set, and I will take my chances," Guillen said. "And he wears this uniform. When (Scott) Linebrink comes back, this ballclub's going to be awesome. And he's going to come back the next couple days. That's the guy we really need to get this thing set up to go."

Guillen and the rest of the Sox have been waiting for Linebrink to come back from a sore shoulder since late July.

It looks like the Sox' rock-solid relief pitcher will finally come off the disabled list before Wednesday's game at Cleveland.

After throwing on the side again Friday, Linebrink is going to take two days off and throw a simulated game Monday. He should be ready to go after that.

"I think today we were most encouraged by the fact usually the second day of throwing has always gone the best, and it's the days we've had no activity or no throwing, the next day has always been a bear for us," Linebrink said. "And we had (Thursday) with a total day off and didn't do anything with the shoulder, and today went well.

"(Pitching coach Don) Cooper thought I looked better than the time before. That was encouraging, just because we've been battling that, just knocking the rust off the day after inactivity."

Linebrink, 2-2 with a 2.31 ERA and 19 holds in 42 games this year, won't be used in his regular role - setting up closer Bobby Jenks - until he gets back to his old form.

"I know me, I'm not thinking to insert him right back in the eighth-inning role," Cooper said. "As much as I would love to be able to do that, we could not feel comfortable about that right now. We have to get him back in action first, see how he's doing. We have other guys we've seen do well, so we are going to lean to those guys until we see more from Scotty and feel better about him doing that."