Inside pitch: Time to send Beckham down?

A little late posting today … there were some wireless issues in the pressbox here at U.S. Cellular Field.

The White Sox are looking for their third straight three-game sweep this afternoon when they play the Braves.

After that, it's three more with the Cubs this weekend.

Just amazed at how the Sox have turned it around so quickly after playing such all-around bad baseball over the first two months.

Speaking of bad, slumping second baseman Gordon Beckham is not in the lineup today. He's batting just .115 (3-for-26) over the last 7 games and has only 1 walk in the last 29.

Want more negative stats on Beckham?

*He's gone 210 at-bats without a home run?

*He leads the Sox with 48 strikeouts.

*He's batting .199 overall. That's second-to-last in the American League among regulars. Toronto's Aaron Hill is at the bottom with a .187 average.

*Beckham's struggles with the bat are starting to hamper his defensive play again. He has 7 errors and his .977 fielding percentage in the second-worst among AL second basemen. Only Seattle's Chone Figgins what a bust is worse at .972.

Beckham is a great kid, and it's been tough watching him play so poorly after his stellar rookie campaign.

I say it's time to send him back to Class AAA Charlotte. Let him find his swing in a less pressurized setting and give it another go at some point in July.