Add Konerko, Crain to list of disabled White Sox
White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said he’s taking phone calls from major-league counterparts wanting to talk trades at a “pretty healthy pace,” and he’s undoubtedly aware of the irony.
The Sox have been anything but healthy this season.
And before deciding whether to make wholesale changes before the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline, Hahn is sure to weigh the damage caused by all of the Sox’ injuries over the first half of the season.
Would they be closer to first place instead of dead last in the AL Central if a total of 10 players — including Jake Peavy, Gordon Beckham, John Danks, Dayan Viciedo and Gavin Floyd — hadn’t spent time on the disabled list? Would they be closer to the .500 mark if Floyd hadn’t blown out his elbow in late April?
Hahn has addressed the injury issues on several occasions this season, and the White Sox’ first-year GM was smart enough to not blame the team’s poor all-around play on poor health.
Two players rumored as likely trade candidates — Paul Konerko and Jesse Crain — are the Sox’ latest casualties. The duo landed on the DL on Wednesday, Konerko with a sore lower back and Crain with a strained right (throwing) shoulder.
Both players should be activated July 19, when play resumes after the all-star break.
“If there’s anything that can go wrong this year for the White Sox, it has gone wrong, and it just keeps on happening,” said Crain, who has a 0.74 ERA, lowest among AL relief pitchers.
“That’s just the way some years go. Sometimes years work out perfectly, without very many injuries. Last year we were lucky, we didn’t have too many, and this year has obviously been the opposite.”
The injury bug even reached down to the minor leagues Wednesday night, as top pitching prospect Erik Johnson had to exit his start for Class AAA Charlotte in the third inning with a right-groin strain.
Konerko sat out six straight games with back soreness before returning to the lineup Tuesday against Baltimore. The Sox’ 37-year-old captain was 0-for-4 with 2 strikeouts, but he hit the ball hard twice and seemed to be OK.
“By the end of the game, Paulie just didn’t feel right and he got examined,” manager Robin Ventura said. “It kept getting worse until he felt like he took a few (steps) backwards as far as the way he was feeling.”
Crain was warming up in the seventh inning Tuesday and expected to pitch in the eighth.
“When I was playing catch before the game, I didn’t feel all that great,” he said. “I was hoping that if I was to get up and get ready for the game I would feel better.
“When I was doing that, I didn’t feel great. I threw some breaking balls and got a little worse. That’s when I knew I couldn’t do it. That’s pretty much how it happened, that easy, that quick.”
Crain had a similar shoulder problem at the same point of the season in 2012.
“A year to the day I had an MRI, which is pretty crazy,” he said. “But I guess it’s similar. I wish I could explain it. I wish I had a way to figure out why it does it.
“I think it’s from throwing a lot, and when I go out there I go all in. Every game I go in, every pitch is important, so I just think it finally took its toll on me and I just got it strained and hopefully I can be back in two weeks.”
sgregor@dailyherald.com