Chicago White Sox lose Cabrera for 3-4 games

Melky Cabrera initially injured his right wrist diving for a sinking line drive during a June 18 game at Cleveland.

Cabrera managed to stay in the Chicago White Sox's lineup, but he aggravated the wrist during Tuesday's loss to the Twins at U.S. Cellular Field and is not expected to be back in the lineup until Saturday or Sunday at Houston.

"It's difficult because I want to play, but the doctors said the best thing for me right now is just to take a rest for a couple of days because I have inflammation there," Cabrera said through a translator. "I want to play. I don't like to be on the bench. I want to play because the team needs me and I need the team."

Cabrera leads the White Sox with a .294 batting average, and the 31-year-old left fielder is 11-for-26 (.423) with 2 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs and 6 RBI over his last six games.

Avisail Garcia replaced Cabrera in left field Wednesday night.

"He's a switch hitter, middle of the lineup, it hurts to not have him in there," manager Robin Ventura said of Cabrera. "We're going to have to figure out a way to make up for that."

Putnam update:

On the 15-day disabled list with a sore right elbow, Zach Putnam is hoping to avoid surgery, either Tommy John or bone-chip removal.

"It's still in the mix," Putnam said of surgery. "Obviously, the goal is to avoid that if possible. I think we are going to give it the old college try and try to see if we can get through the rest of the season without having to do a procedure.

"If I come back and it hasn't improved at all or I continue to have a lot of discomfort then we may have to readdress it at that time. I don't know if we have any firm decision made one way or another right now. It's just day to day."

Putnam last pitched June 20 at Boston, when he walked the bases loaded with no outs in the ninth inning before Zach Duke came on and escaped the jam without allowing a run.

"My last two outings, Cleveland and Boston, last Sunday and Monday, I started having some pretty serious issues again that I couldn't ignore," said Putnam, who is 1-0 with a 2.30 ERA in 25 appearances this season. "It's one of those things were you've got to try to find the line between what you can work through and what's typical reliever stuff and when to say something. I felt like in my opinion that it was definitely time to speak up."

Davidson joining Sox?

The White Sox are carrying eight relief pitchers, and they are short a position players until Melky Cabrera is able to return from a sprained right wrist.

Matt Davidson was not in Class AAA Charlotte's lineup Wednesday night, fueling speculation he will be joining the White Sox on Thursday.

In Tuesday's doubleheader against Durham, Davidson was 2-for-6 with a grand slam and 2-run double. For the season, he's batting .268 with 10 home runs in 75 games while leading the International League with 20 doubles and ranking fourth with 46 RBI.

Davidson has played third base, first base and been the designated hitter for the Knights this season.