This week:
- Mark Teahen began his rehab assignment at Charlotte. As one should expect from a major league baseball player, he hasn't had much trouble with the lower level: .533/.652/.600 in 22 plate appearances. So far, he's either DHed or been at 3B. He'd probably be ready to return to the White Sox early next week, though the club technically has 20 days from the start of his rehab assignment on July 31 until they have to bring him up.
- 2010 third round pick Thomas Royse left his most recent start after just an inning due to a tender elbow. No further word on the severity of the injury.
- Brent Morel: .305/.339/.444.
- John Sickels reviewed his preseason White Sox Top 20 Prospects. If anything, his assessment of the system is even more damning than mine from last week. He's still skeptical about Dayan Viciedo, though he continues to hold out hope for Jordan Danks.
- Gregory Infante got some press this week from Baseball America, which picked a dozen top bullpen prospects: "With a 94-98 mph fastball, Infante has one of the best pure arms in the organization. His curveball needs to be more consistent—at times it’s a knockout, swing-and-miss pitch in the low-80s, other times he loses the tight rotation and leaves them out as hangers. With 57 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings between high Class A Winston-Salem and Birmingham, Infante has the stuff to pitch key innings in a big league bullpen once he refines his secondary stuff and tightens his control."
- Andre Rienzo: 71.2 IP, 70 H, 23 BB, 84 K.
- Jacob Petricka, 2010 second round pick, joined Rienzo in Kannapolis after a predictably dominating spell at Bristol by the 22 year old: 8 GS, 34.2 IP, 25 H, 7 BB, 38 K. He's got a good fastball and a good enough and developing curve. How his changeup progresses will dictate his future.
- Addison Reed, who was also picked in the 2010 third round, is the final of the quartet of pitchers the White Sox selected to open their draft. They're taking it slow with him and limiting his innings after he took nearly all of July off. His results have also been predictable for a 21 year old: 14 IP, 11 H, 2 BB, 21 K. Reed spent his first two years at San Diego State as a reliever, including his sophomore season as Stephen Strasburg's closer. He was somewhat surprisingly transitioned to a starter his junior year but it was a successful move. The White Sox will probably develop him as a starter but his long-term home may be back in the pen.
- Brandon Short: .313/.358/.490.
Programming note: This column will be off next week.