White Sox’ Peavy makes more progress in comeback
GLENDALE, Ariz. — At this rate, Jake Peavy will break camp with the White Sox.
The 29-year-old starting pitcher cleared another big hurdle on Wednesday, throwing live batting practice for the second time with even better results.
“He was nice,” said Ramon Castro, who caught Peavy’s latest session. “He was throwing every pitch — fastball, slider, curveball, changeup — for a strike. Fastball, he’s not there yet, but he’s going to get there. We have to see in the games.”
Peavy is scheduled to throw batting practice again Saturday, and after that he’ll face his biggest test when Cactus League play begins.
“Now he is throwing the ball better,” White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper said. “He probably went up a notch in intensity today. He threw more breaking balls. He certainly is doing what everybody else is doing. It’s a credit to the surgeons, Jake and (trainer) Herm (Schneider) following up on all the things he is supposed to be doing. He certainly has more to do and climb. But I don’t think the climb could be going any nicer than it is right now.”
While Peavy remains optimistic about breaking camp with the Sox, he’s not getting carried away.
“I just want to be healthy,” Peavy said. “I want to be healthy for the majority part of this season. If I’m healthy this whole season and throw 200 innings with the guys, it’s certainly something I want to do. But if I don’t, I don’t see myself being that far behind. I just want to make sure when I get back there’s not any kind of setbacks, that anything new pops up.”
Getting in the flow:
Chris Sale was in college at this time last year, and the White Sox’ left-handed relief pitcher admitted that being in camp is a big change.
“You can look at it two ways,” Sale said. “This is my first time going through so I’m just keeping an open mind. I’m just really having fun with it. Obviously, it’d be a little bit easier if I had been here before but I can’t help that. Like I said before, keeping an open mind and whatever they throw my way, just be ready for it and go and do whatever they have me do.”
Sale pitched live batting practice Wednesday to a group that featured Paul Konerko, Adam Dunn and Carlos Quentin.
Out of line:
Manager Ozzie Guillen was flustered by a visiting reporter Wednesday who kept asking if Adam Dunn was going to bat cleanup this season, even in Monday’s Cactus League opener against the Dodgers.
“Go out and buy the (bleeping) ticket and you’ll find out,” Guillen said. “I said he’s going to be third or fourth. I don’t know if he’s going to be fourth.”