Danks looks good enough to earn minor-league assignment

Still trying to make it back from Aug. 6 shoulder surgery, Danks made another start in extended spring training Friday and threw 87 pitches in 6 innings, according to Sox pitching coach Don Cooper.

The outing was good enough to earn Danks a minor-league rehab assignment this week.

#147;He#146;s going to be at one of our affiliates five days from now pitching,#148; Cooper said. #147;We#146;re going to really monitor him a little closer now because he#146;s a hop, skip and a jump possibly from being back in the big leagues.#148;

When Danks returns to the White Sox#146; rotation remains a mystery.

#147;The question that John#146;s going to have to answer, and he#146;ll have that answer before anybody else, is: #145;Are you ready to go win a major-league game?#146;#148; Cooper said. #147;He knows what it takes to win here. He knows what he#146;s got to have equipment wise and stuff wise. And that#146;s what we#146;re trying to hone in on now.

#147;We#146;re getting down to it. And he#146;s got a little bit more to climb. Hopefully that climb continues. He#146;s already ahead of schedule. This is something we didn#146;t want to rush.

#147;He#146;s not even a year past surgery, but the final preparation is underway.#148;

Keppinger out again:Infielder [/URL]Jeff Keppinger;http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=433579#gameType='S'sectionType=careerstatType=2season=2013level='ALL'[URL] missed his second straight game Saturday with back spasms.#147;They keep treating it,#148; manager Robin Ventura said. #147;He#146;s down.#148;There is a chance Keppinger could be the latest White Sox player to land on the disabled list, but Ventura doesn#146;t think the spasms are that serious.#147;Anything#146;s possible,#148; Ventura said. #147;Right now I#146;m not looking at that. We#146;ll get through tonight and see where he is. With that (DL), (trainer) Herm (Schneider) will let me know if it#146;s going in that direction. Right now, they#146;re just treating him and trying to get him ready.#148;Head games:[/URL]Conor Gillaspie;http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=433898#gameType='R'sectionType=careerstatType=1season=2013level='ALL'[URL] has been a pleasant surprise for the White Sox over the first month of the season, and manager Robin Ventura said the 25-year-old third baseman can be an even better player if he calms down a bit.#147;I think he might want to be too perfect all the time,#148; Ventura said. #147;I think he#146;s better when he doesn#146;t think and goes and plays. He#146;s very critical of himself and how he plays, what he does. He#146;s an intense kid and he#146;s very, very hard on himself.#147;You just want to let him go play. He#146;s swinging the bat. He#146;s aggressive and he#146;s had some big hits for us already. He just needs to stay out of his own way and play.#148;[/URL]BBA32883536Gavin Floyd pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning in a baseball game in Chicago on Saturday, April 27, 2013. Floyd left the game with an injury in the third inning. Associated PressBBA