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With Adam Eaton joining six other teammates on the shelf on Saturday, 28 percent of the White Sox' planned Opening Day roster sits on the disabled list. The official toll:
- Chris Sale
- Nate Jones
- Jeff Keppinger
- Avisail Garcia
- Felipe Paulino
- Conor Gillaspie
- Adam Eaton
And that doesn't include Erik Johnson, who isn't injured but is working through a rehab stint of sorts down in Charlotte.
Garcia's the only one who's out for the season, and we already know about Eaton, so here's the latest on the other five:
Sale (left flexor muscle strain): He played long toss on Saturday in Cleveland, and he's set to throw a "light" bullpen session on Monday at Wrigley Field. Don Cooper says further plans hinge on how Sale responds to the action.
Jones (back): The Sox moved Jones to the 60-day DL, which became an option after they decided a microdisectomy would be the best way to treat back pain that has bothered him since he reported to spring training. Robin Ventura said it would sideline him for a month, after which he could start throwing again. A return at some point during 2014 is expected.
Moises Sierra took his spot on the 40-man roster, and he'll join the 25-man roster for the finale in Cleveland, as the Sox sent Frank De Los Santos back to Charlotte after a one-day stint.
Keppinger (right shoulder): He's off to a good start in his rehab stint, going 3-for-8 with a homer over consecutive starts -- one game at third, and one game at second. Marcus Semien's recent skid (0-for-11 with four strikeouts and two errors) makes the prospect of a roster spot swap a little more palatable.
Paulino ("right shoulder"): He made his first rehab start with the Knights in Buffalo on Saturday, and it was an unremarkable one (2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K). He was limited to 50 pitches or three innings, and he needed 46 pitches. He did pitch through a comebacker off his shin.
Paulino's Charlotte debut certainly paled in comparison to Johnson's from the day before, as his stat line looked like its old self with six shutout innings. Ventura said Johnson will make one more start in Triple-A, and then they'll evaluate the options.
Gillaspie (bone bruise in left hand): He'll begin his rehab stint with the Knights in Buffalo today, and if all goes well, he'll rejoin the Sox in Chicago for the back half of the crosstown series.
"I haven't actually tested it in a game, but there's only one way to find out," Gillaspie said. "At least the pain is gone, and [I'm] doing everyday things, where it started bothering me a lot, just opening doors and things like that.
"If I rested it, I kind of figured that it would be better than trying to press through it and being miserable for a month or two. Hopefully, everything goes OK and I can get back out there and play."
