White Sox' rotation will get huge lift if Colon's healthy

Eleventh in a series

Editor's note: As the countdown continues toward the April 6 opener for the White Sox, Daily Herald Sports Writer Scot Gregor will offer his analysis of each position on the team and the key issues facing the club this season.

Q. How quickly should we expect the trimmer version of Jose Contreras to return to the rotation and when he does, what should we expect?

Gregor: There has been some talk about Contreras breaking training camp with the White Sox, but that would be really pushing it.

Contreras went down in early August last year with a torn Achilles' tendon and it typically takes a year to come back from that injury. The veteran right-hander is a physical fitness fanatic, but don't expect the Sox to activate him until May at the earliest.

Q. Mark Buehrle recently said he may not stick around baseball much longer in order to spend more time with his family. Are you buying that?

Gregor: Remember when Buehrle used to always say he wanted to pitch for his hometown team, the St. Louis Cardinals? This is a different situation, but Buehrle always seems to be throwing stuff out there for public consumption.

The ace left-hander is signed through 2011, and with his easy arm action Buehrle could pitch another 10 years.

But he is a different breed when it comes to lusting after fortune and fame. So let's just say anything is possible.

Q. Will Bartolo Colon be ready to go when the season starts? What kind of expectations do the Sox have for him?

Gregor: Supposedly, Colon is making positive progress as the White Sox ease him into the season. He should be ready to go, but the burly right-hander could blow his back out again or tweak his throwing arm, or ... well, he's got a lengthy injury history.

If Colon stays relatively healthy and wins 10-12 games, the Sox would likely be thrilled.

Q. Though they came through big-time last year, the Sox are going to need John Danks and Gavin Floyd to repeat that again this year. Is that too much to expect?

Gregor: Probably not.

At 23, Danks has emerged as one of the best young starting pitchers in baseball. Even better for the White Sox, the competitive lefty is always working on his game because he's not easily satisfied.

As for Floyd, he has much better raw physical ability than Danks and just about every other pitcher in baseball. If Floyd can keep it together mentally, he's going to win even more games than the eye-popping 17 last season.

Q. Finish this sentence: the White Sox starting rotation will be fine this year as long as ...

Gregor: Colon limits his time on the disabled list to just two weeks. If he makes 20-25 starts and remembers how to attack hitters, the veteran is going to give the Sox another weapon behind Buehrle, Floyd and Danks.

If Colon can stay healthy - and getting anything from Contreras is an added bonus - the Sox could be the team to beat in the AL Central.

• Got a question about the Sox for Scot Gregor? Visit his blog, Chicago's Inside Pitch, at dailyherald.com to share your questions and comments.