WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF APRIL 27, 2017 “Inbox: Will prospects join White Sox rotation?” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Backed by bats, Quintana deals a sweep” … Scott Merkin & Jefferey Flanagan, MLB.com “Avi setting sail for White Sox” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Dunning dominates again” … Mike Rosenbaum, MLB.com “Abreu exits with right hip flexor strain” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Gentleman Jim joins MLB Network” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Pelfrey to face former team in Detroit” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Jose Abreu hopes to be ready for White Sox next game after leaving with injury.” … Vinnie Duber, CSN Chicago “With White Sox Hitters’ Support, Jose Quintana Picks up first win of 2017” … Vinnie Duber, CSN Chicago “The Garcia and Garcia show: Avisail, Leury keep swinging as White Sox complete sweep of Royals” … Vinnie Duber, CSN Chicago “Starting to Blossom: White Sox prospect Dane Dunning flourishing behind attacking style” … Dan hayes, CSN Chicago “CSN will televise eight Charlotte Knights games this summer” … Paul Roumeliotis, CSN Chicago “White Sox dub Jose Abreu day-to-day after first baseman leaves game with hip flexor strain” … Vinnie Duber, CSN Chicago “Former White Sox slugger Jim Thome taking his talents to MLB Network” … Vinnie Duber, CSN Chicago “As White Sox bats heat up, Todd Frazier feeling like himself after bumpy start to 2017” … Vinnie Duber, CSN Chicago “David Robertson: ownership has always been Derek Jeter’s dream” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “Mission accomplished: Jose Quintana fans 10 in posting first victory” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Former White Sox ace Chris Sale thriving in Boston as he did in Chicago” … Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune “Hot-hitting Jose Abreu hopes hip strain won't keep him from Tigers series” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Jim Thome lands MLB Network gig on top of White Sox front-office position” … Phil Rosenthal, Chicago Tribune “Garcias, Quintana help White Sox complete sweep of Royals” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times “Jose Abreu day-to-day with mild hip-flexor strain” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times “Jim Thome joins MLB Network as studio analyst” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times “Feeling good, Frazier back to taking healthy cuts for Sox” … Scot Gregor, Daily Herald “Chicago White Sox roll past Royals for 4th straight win” … Scot Gregor, Daily Herald “Jim Thome Adds MLB Network Work To His Plate”… Bruce Levine, CBS Chicago “Jose Quintana Pitches Like An Ace In White Sox’s Win” … Bruce Levine, CBS Chicago “Jim Thome brings his legendary hitting prowess to MLB Network” … Chris Cwik Yahoo Sports “Jim Thome isn't crushing awesome homers anymore, but he's still getting his 'baseball fix'” … Ted Berg, USA Today “Jim Thome: Vibe around Cleveland Indians similar to one surrounding '90s Tribe teams” … Zack Meisel, Cleveland.com “Jim Thome to join MLB Network as part-time analyst” … WKYC

Inbox: Will prospects join White Sox rotation? Beat reporter Scott Merkin answers fans' questions By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | @scottmerkin | April 26, 2017 CHICAGO -- Let's take a look at some of your inquiries in the White Sox Inbox. And thanks to all those who submitted questions in the Facebook Live portion. Will Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Carson Fulmer, Michael Kopech, Dane Dunning and Zack Burdi be any better than our current four starters, plus Carlos Rodon, David Robertson and Nate Jones? -- Gary, Chicago, @itsgary If I knew that answer, I would probably sell my psychic services to the team. The thing about prospects is not everyone pans out, even the top ones, so the more you have, the better chance you have of developing that young critical mass spoken of by general manager Rick Hahn. The White Sox are off to a good start. When will the White Sox sign Luis Robert and how many MVPs will he win. Thanks. -- Jay, Chicago, @JayMacanudo

Robert is working out for the White Sox this week, with executive vice president Ken Williams and Hahn in attendance. The team clearly has interest, and ultimately these sorts of situations come down to the most lucrative offer.The 19-year-old probably won't be Major League ready until 2020. So maybe table the MVP talk for now. If the 2017 White Sox were an Eagles song, which one would it be? -- Not Ken Willliams, Twitterville, @NotKenWilliams Peaceful Easy Feeling works because there's no pressure on this team. Take it to the Limit fits if they are able to work out a deal with Robert, but Heartache Tonight would come into play if they fall short. The Long Run represents this season as the start of the rebuilding process, but let's go with New Kid in Town standing for the prospects who could be arriving from the Minors and the ones the team figures to acquire via trades. How much longer can the White Sox go with Cody Asche and Jacob May? -- Robert, Chicago, @ribbie9 Asche and May have gotten off to very slow starts, although May did break through with his first Major League hit on Saturday. Matt Davidson (DH) and Leury Garcia (CF) received more playing time against the Royals, but manager Rick Renteria has talked since Spring Training about trying to keep everyone fresh. There's really not anyone healthy behind May right now, unless the White Sox want to try Willy Garcia in center. Do you think Davidson will see more playing time in the coming weeks? -- Joe, New Cumberland, @JoeBinder20 Davidson sat four straight games against tough right-handers, which caused a fan uproar when the team struggled to score runs. I'm not sure if Renteria is ready to give Davidson everyday responsibilities, but there's no question Davidson has turned himself into a viable offensive force. I could see that fact developing during the hitters mini-camp in January. I know it's early and they're rebuilding, but what will the White Sox do if they're only a few games back of a Wild Card in July? -- Cary, Buffalo Grove, @GoHawksAndSox Hahn already has said they will address any exception to the rebuild if the time comes, but it will be up to the front office to decide if it's fool's gold or true contention. The team is committed to a rebuild and has talked about it being in its early stages. I don't see that philosophy abruptly changing.

Backed by bats, Quintana deals a sweep By Scott Merkin and Jeffrey Flanagan / MLB.com | April 26th, 2017 CHICAGO -- The five runs scored by the White Sox offense during Wednesday's 5-2 victory over the Royals at Guaranteed Rate Field must have seemed like a season's worth of support for Jose Quintana, the South Siders' winning pitcher. Entering the afternoon contest, the White Sox (11-9) had scored two runs in total over Quintana's four previous starts, all losses. So the southpaw made sure those five runs held up in completing the three-game sweep of their American League Central rival, marking a fourth straight White Sox victory, and sending the Royals (7-14) to their seventh straight loss. Royals manager Ned Yost said the effort is there. "I'm seeing too much effort at times. This is a group that plays their tails off." Avisail Garcia broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth against Royals starter Nathan Karns (0-2). Melky Cabrera opened the frame with a single and was on second with two outs when Garcia connected for his fourth home run of the season. Garcia's blast covered 451 feet, per Statcast™, with an exit velocity of 110.7 mph and a launch angle of 30 degrees. It had a hit probability of 98 percent, marking his third-longest home run of the Statcast™ era. "I was trying to go down and away with a fastball," Karns said. "I left it kind of middle-middle. He didn't miss it." Quintana yielded one earned run over six innings and 99 pitches, striking out 10, including seven in the first three innings. It was Quintana's eighth career outing with double-digit strikeouts. Karns struck out five and walked none in six innings. Leury Garcia added a seventh-inning home run, his second, to complete the scoring. Leury Garcia jacks a solo home run over the wall in right field, putting the White Sox ahead 5-2 in the bottom of the 7th inning

"Yeah, it was a mission. Everybody was doing their job," Quintana said. "I needed this outing, so I felt really good on the mound. It was extra motivation to win my first one. [White Sox catcher Geovany Soto] called a good game, and we focused the whole game. I threw the ball well." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Kahnle brings the heat: The Royals had the go-ahead run at the plate in the form of Salvador Perez with two outs in the seventh, facing Tommy Kahnle, who has moved into a late-inning relief role based on his success and injuries to Zach Putnam and Jake Petricka. Kahnle stranded runners at first and second when he fired a 100-mph fastball by Perez, handing the game over to Nate Jones and David Robertson. "He's been kind of chipping away at those opportunities and doing a nice job," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "We needed a big out right there. He came in and he did it." No justice for Hoz: The Royals had a chance to do some damage in the sixth inning. Rookie Jorge Bonifacio drove in Alcides Escobar from second base with a single to center, tying the score, 2-2. The Royals then had two on and two out with Eric Hosmer up against Quintana and Hosmer lined a bullet toward Cabrera in left, who caught the liner, which seemed to knock him to the ground. Statcast™ measured Hosmer's liner at 112.9 mph. "It's frustrating, but we have to continue to stick with it," Hosmer said. "It seems every time Gordo [Royals outfielder Alex Gordon] rips a ball, it's right into the shift. Esky [Escobar] had a couple of balls today that could have been hits. I know we keep saying it, but that's all part of the game." QUOTABLE "I wanted to stay in the game. I wanted to go back in the seventh inning, but he said, 'If we take the lead, you'll stay. If we are tied, you're back.' That's good. All of the time I want to stay in the game and never leave the game. I wanted to keep doing that."-- Quintana on trying to convince Renteria to let him stay in the game SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS The Royals haven't lost this many consecutive games -- seven -- since dropping eight straight last June to begin a 2-8 road trip through Cleveland, Baltimore and here. Their last winless road trip of this length was in 2006, when they went 0-9. UNWANTED COMPANY Quintana avoided becoming the first White Sox pitcher to lose his first five starts of a season since Randy Scarberry in 1979. It was also his first win against the Royals since Sept. 5, 2015. WHAT'S NEXT Royals: After an off-day Thursday, the Royals open a 10-game homestand beginning Friday at 7:15 p.m. CT against the Twins with right-hander Ian Kennedy (0-2, 2.08 ERA) taking the hill. White Sox: After a scheduled off-day on Thursday, the White Sox begin a 10-game road trip at Comerica Park Friday night with a first pitch of 6:10 p.m. Mike Pelfrey makes his second start for the White Sox, facing the Tigers, who let him go during Spring Training.

Avi setting sail for White Sox By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | @scottmerkin | April 26th, 2017 CHICAGO -- Avisail Garcia's great start to the season has reached such a lofty level now that when he finished 1-for-4 in the White Sox' 5-2 win over the Royals on Wednesday afternoon, his average tumbled -- all the way to .373. But that one hit was a game-changer for the right fielder and the White Sox. With two outs and Melky Cabrera on second in the sixth, Garcia broke a 2-2 tie with a blast to center field off Royals starter Nathan Karns. His fourth home run of the year traveled 451 feet, according to Statcast™ -- his third-longest homer in the Statcast™ era. It had an exit velocity of 110.7 mph, a launch angle of 30 degrees and a hit probability of 98 percent. Behind the numbers, the blast sent the White Sox to a fourth straight victory and a sweep of the Royals.

"It's amazing," White Sox starter and winning pitcher Jose Quintana said of Garcia. "He hit the ball at the right time. He told me, 'That's for you.' I was happy with that, so next time when I go to the mound, I'll give to my team. But I'm really proud of him." "I was trying to go down and away with a fastball," Karns said. "I left it kind of middle-middle. He didn't miss it." The lofty average and team-high 17 RBIs and .600 slugging percentage become the biggest representation of Garcia's April turnaround. But there were other moments in Wednesday's game illustrating a different sort of player. In the first inning, Garcia hit what appeared to be a routine grounder to shortstop Alcides Escobar and still almost beat out the play at first. He's 15 to 20 pounds lighter compared to last year and it shows in his movement. Garcia also made a nice running catching coming in on a Lorenzo Cain line drive. Handling extended adversity will be the biggest challenge for Garcia. But Todd Frazier, for one, sees a different approach from his teammate in good times and bad. "He had an 0-for-4 the other day and he kept it simple again," Frazier said. "Kept his hands in tight and driving the ball, not just feeling for it, "Driving the thing and you see the hustle out of him, man. He made a nice play in the outfield, too, and he is playing the game of baseball." Garcia always has possessed the ability to be a standout player, known when he came to the White Sox as a five-tool talent. That ability has translated into impressive results through the first 20 games of the 2017 season. "Look at the size of him. Could be a tight end for the Bears," Frazier said. "He's working his tail off. He understands you need to get off to a good start and keep it going. He's having a spectacular year." "What I've seen a little bit more this year, he's making good contact," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "But now he seems to be driving the ball a little bit more, too. It's a good thing."

Dunning dominates again By Mike Rosenbaum / MLB.com | April 26th, 2017 There were many standout performances by pitchers across the Minor Leagues on Wednesday, but none of them impressed quite like Class A hurlers Merandy Gonzalez and Cody Reed. Gonzalez, the Mets' No. 14 prospect, scattered five hits over 7 2/3 innings for Columbia to extend his season-opening scoreless-innings streak to 28 1/3 frames. He walked a pair and struck out five, also generating eight ground-ball outs, as the Fireflies shutout Asheville, 5-0. Gonzalez is now 4-0 through his first four starts in the South Atlantic League, and the 21-year-old righty has completed at least seven innings in three straight turns, en route to pacing the circuit in innings pitched. He's posted a 23-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio during that stretch, all the while limiting opposing hitters to a .160 clip. Meanwhile, in the Midwest League, Reed fired six no-hit innings and matched his career high with 11 strikeouts to pace Kane County in a shutout of Wisconsin. It marked the first win of the season for the D-backs' No. 19 prospect, who issued one walk (with two outs in the second inning) while throwing 55 of his 81 pitches for strikes. "I was locating my two-seam fastball on the outside part of the plate. I was able to keep it down and threw it for a lot of strikes. I'm just getting the ball to the plate, that's all there is to it. You just need to compete and throw strikes," Reed told MiLB.com. Reed, a second-round pick in 2014, has been excellent so far this season in his return to Kane County, posting a 1.35 ERA with 27 strikeouts 20 innings. In his 2016 full-season debut, the 20-year-old left-hander went 5-2 with a 1.82 ERA in seven starts before advancing to the Class A Advanced California League. The rest of the best performances from top prospects Wednesday • No. 32 overall prospect Kyle Tucker (Astros No. 2) recorded multiple hits in both games of Class A Advanced Buies Creek's doubleheader sweep to extend his hitting streak to seven games. The 20-year-old outfielder went 4-for-7 with four RBIs on the day, going 2-for-4 in Game 1 before driving in three with a 2-for-3 performance in the nightcap. Through 19 games, Tucker is hitting .319/.375/.597 with 12 extra-base hits and 21 RBIs. • No. 92 overall prospect Cal Quantrill (Padres No. 4) worked a career-high six innings en route to his third win for Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore. The 2016 first-rounder (No. 8 overall) allowed one earned run on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks before he departed the game after 81 pitches (56 strikes).

• Astros No. 19 prospect Ronnie Dawson hit his third homer in four games for Class A Quad Cities to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. The 21-year-old outfielder now has gone deep four times (all in his past eight games) in 19 games, during which he's hitting .270 with 12 runs scored and 13 RBIs. • Blue Jays No. 9 prospect Bo Bichette went 2-for-5 to improve his average to .383 for Class A Lansing. Both of the 19-year-old shortstop's hits went for extra bases, as he connected on his second homer in the first inning -- a solo shot off of left-hander Jose Paulino (Cubs No. 14) -- and then added a double in the ninth. • Dodgers No. 29 prospect A.J. Alexy fired 3 2/3 scoreless innings in his fourth straight dominant start for Class A Great Lakes. The 19-year-old righty, an 11th-round Draft pick last June, threw 37 of his 53 pitches for strikes, allowing one hit and striking out seven. He owns a 0.71 ERA and a 0.39 WHIP, with 19 strikeouts and one walk, in 12 2/3 innings, during which he's allowed just four hits while holding opposing hitters to a .095 average. • Giants No. 6 prospect Sandro Fabian went 4-for-5 with a pair of home runs, a double and five RBIs for Class A Augusta in what was a career day at the plate for the 19-year-old outfielder. The home runs were his first of the season, and he boosted his average from .227 to .268 with the four-hit showing. • Pirates No. 7 prospect Will Craig recorded a career-high five RBIs and went 2-for-4 to help power Class A Advanced Bradenton past Fort Myers, 16-2. It was the fifth multi-hit performance in 10 games for the 2016 first-rounder, who's hitting .294/.388/.353 through 18 games. On the mound for the Marauders, left-hander Taylor Hearn (No. 12) tossed six innings of one-run ball, allowing four hits and striking out six, to record his second win in four starts. • Rays No. 7 prospect Jesus Sanchez paced Class A Bowling Green to an 11-3 win over Dayton with his first career multi-homer game. The toolsy 19-year-old outfielder went deep in the seventh and eighth innings, ultimately finishing 3-for-5 with three runs and four RBIs. Garrett Whitley (No. 11) also had a big game for the Hot Rods, going 3-for-4 with a triple, a double and two RBIs from the bottom of the order. • White Sox No. 10 prospect Dane Dunning was dominant in his third straight scoreless start for Class A Kannapolis, striking out seven in six innings. Acquired with Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez during the offseason in the Adam Eaton trade, Dunning, 22, is now 2-0 with a 0.35 ERA through four turns in the South Atlantic League. He's compiled 33 strikeouts against just two walks, while holding opposing hitters to a .143 average (13 hits) in 26 innings.

Abreu exits with right hip flexor strain By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | @scottmerkin | April 26th, 2017 CHICAGO -- White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu left Wednesday afternoon's 5-2 victory over the Royals at Guaranteed Rate Field in the fifth inning with what the team announced as a mild right hip flexor strain but Abreu listed as more of a groin issue. With Alcides Escobar on first, Abreu tried to field Cheslor Cuthbert's slow roller to his right and his legs went out from under him and stretched awkwardly. Both runners were safe, and after being examined by the White Sox staff, Abreu departed. He had two doubles and an RBI in his two at-bats before exiting. "I feel good right now," said Abreu through interpreter Billy Russo. "I got treatment and I feel good. The day off tomorrow is going to help and I hope to be ready for the first game in Detroit." Todd Frazier, who started the game at third base, moved to first. Tyler Saladino moved from second to third and Yolmer Sanchez entered the game at second. If Abreu is absent for a game or two, the White Sox certainly have versatility to mix and match in the field. Abreu is 8-for-15 over his last four games. But he doesn't worry about the injury slowing his offensive rebound. If Abreu had his choice, he wouldn't have even left early on Wednesday. "He did not want to come out," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "He was pretty adamant but I think all of us, you don't take any chances. I think it was just the right thing to do at that time." "When you are on the field, you don't want to leave the field," said Abreu with a smile. "It doesn't matter what's the reason or what's happening. But he's the boss and he made that decision and you have to accept it."

Gentleman Jim joins MLB Network Five-time All-Star Jim Thome talks about his excitement about joining MLB Network on May 1 as a studio analyst By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | @scottmerkin | April 26th, 2017

CHICAGO -- Jim Thome never really thought about becoming a baseball analyst or a member of the media when he was putting together a Hall of Fame-caliber career over 22 seasons on the field. But when the opportunity arose for Thome to join MLB Network as an on-air personality on a part-time basis, the affable slugger was excited for the challenge. Thome will be appearing as an analyst across the network's studio programming, making his debut on MLB Tonight on Monday, May 1 at 5 p.m. CT alongside former teammate Sean Casey and host Fran Charles. Thome worked with Casey when he spent three days as a guest analyst on MLB Network in February. "I loved it," Thome said on Wednesday, speaking in the White Sox dugout. "Really what it is is just sitting around and talking baseball and sharing input that you've learned. "It's a great group of people that share great knowledge of the game. I love baseball. I think being around baseball and talking hitting and maybe sharing some of the stuff that I learned over a 22-year career, maybe to help kids, coaches, just in general maybe share a little input. "[I learned] a lot of stuff from a lot of great people, Hall of Famers that are on the show," Thome said. "Players that I played with, players that I competed with. And to me the biggest thing, when you leave the game, you miss that teammate-camaraderie atmosphere that I think this gives you." Thome continues on as a special assistant to White Sox general manager Rick Hahn, with a plan in place for him to go see some of the team's Minor League affiliates soon. Balancing the White Sox job, which he has held since 2013 -- alongside being a husband and father to his two kids -- stood as the most important factors in adding on this new task for the man with 612 home runs, 1,583 runs scored, 1,699 RBIs and 1,747 walks. Hahn, executive vice president Ken Williams and chairman Jerry Reinsdorf were very supportive of the move for Thome, who is eligible for Hall of Fame election in 2018. The man who played for Cleveland, the Phillies, the White Sox, the Dodgers, the Twins and the Orioles feels as if he has a great deal to share. "I'll learn, ask questions, as I do here," Thome said. "The biggest thing in anything is don't ever be afraid to ask questions and listen. In any job, you need to listen. "Being around Studio 42 is great. Billy Ripken does a great job. John Smoltz obviously has done a great job on the pitching and him with [Dan] Plesac as well. Being around Sean [Casey], from the hitting end, Carlos Pena does a nice job. "So, learning and I've got a lot of drills I did when I played. If I can teach that to the game, but also maybe do our youth side of the sport and also the college side. Maybe you say something that helps a player and he goes out and does well. That's what it's all about."

Pelfrey to face former team in Detroit By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | April 26th, 2017 Mike Pelfrey spent one season of his 12-year career in Detroit. So getting a chance to pitch for the White Sox against the Tigers on Friday night at Comerica Park doesn't exactly represent a shot at retribution for the right-hander. "I'm not trying to make too big of a deal about it," Pelfrey said. "Obviously it's another game. I'm going out there to win the game and pitch. "It's going to be a little different after being on their team last year, but that's the way the game goes sometimes. I'm looking forward to getting out there and competing." Pelfrey agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal with Detroit prior to the 2016 season, but posted a 4-10 record and 5.07 ERA last year and was released at the end of Spring Training this season. The White Sox quickly contacted Pelfrey, who joined the organization via a Minor League deal and then came up from Triple-A Charlotte to take James Shields' spot in the rotation last Saturday, after Shields went on the 10-day disabled list with a right lat strain. The long-term permutations, with Shields not too far away from returning, don't worry the veteran. The good-natured Pelfrey simply focuses on the task at hand, which happens to be Detroit in this instance. "I always seem to think that stuff finds a way to work itself out," Pelfrey said. "If I do what I'm supposed to then it will make their decision a little tougher, and that's all I can control. "That's all I'm trying to focus on, taking care of that next start. If I do that, I think things will work out the way they're supposed to."

Matthew Boyd, who worked his way into the Tigers' rotation, gets the call for Detroit. This game marks the opener of a 10-game road trip for the White Sox and is part of a nine-game homestand for Detroit. Things to know about this game • After battling through a prolonged case of the flu causing a weight loss of 10 pounds, White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier is starting to feel like himself again. "I feel fine. I've been feeling like myself for the past couple days," Frazier said. "Just making a little adjustment at the plate and getting more on top of the ball instead of underneath, and that's my main focus." • From 2015-16, just 28.1 percent of Pelfrey's batted balls were fly balls or line drives, the 18th-lowest rate among 168 big league pitchers with at least 500 batted balls. But in his White Sox debut, that rate jumped to 52.9 percent (nine of 17), Pelfrey's highest for a single game in the Statcast Era.

Jose Abreu hopes to be ready for White Sox next game after leaving with injury. By Vinnie Duber / CSN Chicago | April 26, 2017 Jose Abreu said he hopes to be ready to go when the White Sox start their series against the Detroit Tigers on Friday. The White Sox first baseman took an awkward-looking fall on the infield grass while trying to field a grounder in the fifth inning of Wednesday’s win over the visiting Kansas City Royals, leaving the game with what the team announced as a mild right hip flexor strain. Abreu was labeled as day-to-day. Manager Rick Renteria didn’t have any sort of update after the game — though he said he didn't think it was serious — but in his comments to reporters, Abreu said he felt fine after receiving treatment and will be ready to go for Friday’s series opener in Detroit. “I feel good right now,” Abreu said. “I got treatment and I feel good. The day off tomorrow is going to help and I hope to be ready for the first game in Detroit.” Both Renteria and Abreu said the first baseman had no desire to exit Wednesday’s game but that Renteria was being appropriately cautious. “He did not want to come out,” Renteria said. “He was pretty adamant but I think all of us, you don't take any chances. I think it was just the right thing to do at that time.” “When you are on the field, you didn’t want to leave the field. It doesn’t matter what’s the reason or what’s happening,” Abreu said. “But he’s the boss and he made that decision and you have to accept it.” Abreu went 2-for-2 with a two-out RBI double in the first inning Wednesday before he left. He has had two hits in each of his last four games and is 8-for-15 during the White Sox current four-game winning streak. The White Sox are off Thursday. The team said Abreu will be reevaluated then after arriving in Detroit.

With White Sox Hitters’ Support, Jose Quintana Picks up first win of 2017 By Vinnie Duber / CSN Chicago | April 26, 2017 Four runs isn’t exactly an eye-popping total. But for Jose Quintana and his luck, it can seem like a gigantic number. The White Sox starting pitcher is famously left wanting for run support nearly every time he takes the mound. So after the visiting Kansas City Royals erased a two-run White Sox advantage by the middle of the sixth inning Wednesday, it looked like Quintana might be heading for another bad-luck no decision — or worse. But Avisail Garcia, he of the resurgent 2017 campaign, came to Quintana’s aid, belting a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning to put the White Sox back in front. It put Quintana in position for his first win of the season, which he officially earned when things went final a few innings later. “He hit the ball at the right time. It was a good time,” Quintana said after the 5-2 victory on the South Side. “He told me, ‘That’s for you.’” Quintana’s own 2017 season hasn’t gotten off to the kind of start you’d expect from the 2016 All Star. He took a loss in each of his first four outings and didn’t pitch like his normal self, entering Wednesday’s game with a 6.17 ERA.

But Wednesday saw Quintana return to form. He struck out 10 batters, a season high and the eighth such effort he’s had in his career. He surrendered just a pair of runs, only one of which was earned. Third baseman Todd Frazier said he saw something a little different in Quintana on Wednesday. “I saw it in his face. He had some look about him,” Frazier said. “It was weird. He was getting mad at me because I didn’t get the ball back to him in time. I love that stuff. I’ll definitely make sure I get it to him quicker. He had a mentality about him, you know, put fear in some hitters eyes.” Quintana, who kept saying that he “needed” this kind of performance in this game, confirmed it was an accurate assessment. “Yeah, it was a mission,” Quintana said. “Everybody was doing their job. I needed this outing, so I felt really good on the mound. It was extra motivation to win my first one. “I needed that outing, I needed that win. I never started like that (with four losses), so I’m really proud of the first win for me. The first of many, so I can’t wait to keep doing my job.” While the pitcher was different this time around, so too was his offense. The White Sox are locked in some kind of offensive surge right now, combining for 33 runs during a four-game winning streak. In Quintana’s first four starts, the team mustered just four total runs, shut out in two of those games. While certainly everyone would like the offensive production to continue, it was performances like Wednesday’s that remind you that even when the team isn’t scoring for him — and that’s been often — he still has All-Star stuff. “As a teammate, you always enjoy when one of your pitchers is having that kind of performance that Quintana had today,” Leury Garcia said. “You’re always trying to help him, you’re always trying to do your best to help your teammates to win games. And for us, the defense was good just to stay there and watch him do his stuff. That was good.”

The Garcia and Garcia show: Avisail, Leury keep swinging as White Sox complete sweep of Royals By Vinnie Duber / CSN Chicago | April 26, 2017 You probably couldn’t have predicted this before the season started: that a pair of Garcias would be leading the offensive charge for the surging White Sox. But here we are, still in 2017’s first month, and Avisail and Leury Garcia are swinging the biggest sticks for a White Sox team that’s scored 33 runs during a four-game winning streak. Avisail, who’s earning way-too-early virtual MVP chants on Twitter on a nightly basis, delivered the biggest blow Wednesday, breaking a short-lived 2-all tie with a two-run blast to center field to put his team back in front for good. Leury added his own solo shot an inning later to make it a 5-2 score, the eventual final in the South Siders’ win over the visiting Kansas City Royals at Guaranteed Rate Field. Avisail Garcia remains the biggest talking point around this team, resurgent in his performance this season after struggling during his first couple years in a White Sox uniform. Last season he slashed .245/.307/.285 with 12 home runs and 51 RBIs in 120 games. After Wednesday, he’s hitting .373 this season with four home runs and 17 RBIs in 20 games. “His approach hasn’t changed,” third baseman Todd Frazier said. “He had an 0-for-4 day the other day and he kept it simple again. Kept his hands in tight and driving the ball, not just feeling for it, driving the thing and you see the hustle out of him, man. He made a nice play in the outfield, too, and he is playing the game of baseball.” “What I think I've seen a little bit more this year, he's making good contact but now he seems to be driving the ball a little bit more, too,” manager Rick Renteria said. “It's a good thing.” But don’t forget about Leury Garcia, who’s cranked his production up to 11 in the last few games. He’s 8-for-15 in the last four games with a pair of extra-base hits and four RBIs. Jacob May was pegged as the team’s everyday center fielder when camp broke. But Leury Garcia’s bat is forcing Renteria to keep writing his name in the lineup. And that, Leury Garcia said, has been the key to swinging such a hot bat.

“Yes, it was a matter of time. Because once you start getting more game time, more at-bats, you are feeling more comfortable with your approach and you are getting to know your team and what you have to do during the games,” Leury Garcia said. “For me, that has been the key, the playing time, the at-bats, the repetition. And that’s good.” “Just his overall play. Obviously, he's getting on base, he's getting on whether through a hit or hustling down the line. He's making some plays in the outfield,” Renteria said. “Just his overall game is kind of coming together a little bit. I think it 's part of who he is, and it's nice to see.” Whether you want to believe that old baseball maxim that hitting is contagious or you don’t, there’s no doubt that the hits and runs have come from up and down the White Sox lineup during this stretch. Wednesday, Jose Abreu and Frazier got things going with back-to-back RBI doubles in the first inning. That 2-0 lead held until the Royals chipped away at White Sox starter Jose Quintana, first with a run on a Jorge Bonifacio fifth-inning single and then with a run on a game-tying Alcides Escobar groundout in the sixth. Quintana had a pair of wild pitches in that sixth inning. But then came Avisail Garcia’s heroics, the White Sox lineup finally providing some run support for Quintana, who won for the first time this season. “The old saying hitting is contagious,” Frazier said. “You know to come out and get two quick runs with two outs, I think we got all the runs with two outs — spectacular. We had to keep pounding a little bit. Looked like both teams a little sluggish, quick turnaround after last night’s game and to get on top early kind of put a damper on the other team.” The White Sox will take their four-game winning streak to Detroit for the start of a 10-game road trip that swings through the Motor City, Kansas City and Baltimore. Or maybe we should be calling it The Garcia & Garcia Show World Tour.

Starting to Blossom: White Sox prospect Dane Dunning flourishing behind attacking style By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | April 26, 2017 Dane Dunning has begun to cast aside the doubts of some observers who wondered when he was drafted last June if he’s a starting pitcher or a reliever. The White Sox felt pretty certain Dunning -- the team’s No. 10 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com -- would start even though he pitched out of the bullpen more often in three seasons at the University of Florida. They were absolutely thrilled when they were able to include the Washington Nationals’ 2016 first-round draft pick along with pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez in the return for Adam Eaton. Through four starts at Single-A Kannapolis, Dunning has only strengthened the club’s assertion with a scorching hot start that could likely soon lead to a promotion. After six more scoreless innings and seven strikeouts on Wednesday, Dunning is 2-0 with a 0.35 ERA. “I talked to scouts who really think Giolito and Lopez are relievers and at the time of the trade thought ‘Don’t be surprised if Dunning is the best starting pitcher of those three guys in the long run,’” said MLB.com’s Jim Callis. “He’s got stuff. He’s not going to light up the gun like those guys can. But he’s got a fastball with life and he’s got three pitches. He’s legit. He very well could go from being the third guy in the trade for Eaton to the best guy.” The only thing that has slowed down Dunning this month is the weather. Originally scheduled to start Sunday, Dunning’s fourth turn was wiped out by rain for three consecutive days. The layoff could explain Dunning’s -- ahem -- rust on Wednesday morning when he threw only 58 of 88 pitches (66 percent) for strikes and limited Hagerstown to two hits and a walk while striking out seven. All Dunning has done is fill up the strike zone this season. He has thrown strikes on 246 of 354 pitches (69.5 percent). Through 26 innings, Dunning has allowed two runs (one earned), 13 hits and two walks with 33 strikeouts. “He really commands the fastball well to both sides,” Kannapolis catcher Seby Zavala said. “He doesn’t get behind too many hitters. He attacks with the fastball. And if you can locate that fastball, you’re going to do pretty well, especially at this level.”

Dunning is hopeful his attacking style would work at every level. As he noted, Hall of Fame hitters are successful only three out of 10 times. “The odds are in my favor 70 percent of the time,” Dunning said. “I’m OK with those odds. “Big leaguers, they miss down the middle at times and they get away with it. They miss up at times and they get away with it. Baseball is a game of failure. A hitter’s going to fail seven out of 10 times. Once you realize those odds, you just pound strikes and if you’re able to locate it, that helps in your favor.” Despite his approach, many observers weren’t sure if Dunning would start as a pro. A reliever his freshman season at Florida, Dunning made 14 starts in his second year before mostly pitching in relief as a junior. He had the burden of pitching in a Gators rotation that included fellow first-round pick A.J. Puk and second-rounder Logan Shore. “If I went to really any other SEC school I would have been a Friday night starter,” Dunning said. “But on the other hand, it humbled me a bunch and I learned a lot by starting and going out of the ‘pen.” Still, Dunning faced a bunch of interview questions during the draft process about whether he wanted to start or relieve. An American League scout who took in Dunning’s April 18 outing at Asheville doesn’t think Florida knew what it had in Dunning, who posted a 3.32 ERA and struck out 170 in 160 collegiate innings. But amateur scouting director Nick Hostetler said the White Sox suspected Dunning would start all along. Hostetler attended one of Dunning’s five starts in 2016 and liked the combination of the right-hander’s 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame and his stuff. The White Sox nearly selected Dunning with the 26th pick in the draft but instead grabbed reliever Zack Burdi as they believed they might need a big arm out of the bullpen in the majors later that season. Washington took Dunning 29th overall. “He showed three pitches, the ability to command all three pitches, physical build, strength,” Hostetler said. “And when he did start last year he showed the ability to go deeper into games. He maintained his stuff through it. And I felt with not only the physical size, but the stuff, that was going to translate and he was going to start. “He’s pretty aggressive, he’s always been that way. He’s a pretty dialed in kid. He’s in the game, the whole game. There’s no distracting him. He kind of looks like what we expected him to be.” Though he is more comfortable in the five-day routine for starters, Dunning jokes that he gets jealous of position players being on the field every day. Still, he doesn’t find the uncertainty that comes with relieving as appealing but appreciates the experience. Dunning knows that experience could supply him with a fallback plan. But if he’s given the choice, Dunning prefers to be a starting pitcher. “I can get in more of a groove,” Dunning said. “Mainly, it’s just to help the team get wins and that’s my ultimate goal out there if I’m starting or coming out of the bullpen. If I’m starting, just put on a good performance for my team, get the game going. If I’m coming out of the ‘pen, it’s hold the lead and get my team W’s.”

CSN will televise eight Charlotte Knights games this summer By Paul Roumeliotis / CSN Chicago | April 26, 2017 Good news, White Sox fans. CSN is going to televise eight games this summer of the Charlotte Knights, the White Sox Triple-A affiliate. “The White Sox have sent us an outstanding roster of prospects this season,” said Charlotte Knights Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Dan Rajkowski. “We’re thrilled that CSN Chicago will be airing several of our games to showcase that talent while also giving viewers an extended look at BB&T Ballpark and the city of Charlotte.” It's no secret by now that the White Sox have one of the best farm systems in baseball, much of where their talent plays for Charlotte. The Knights feature an elite group of young stars such as Zack Burdi, Carson Fulmer, Lucas Giolito, Yoan Moncada, and Reynaldo Lopez. Below is the full TV list: Wednesday, May 3 10:00 a.m. vs Norfolk (Orioles) LIVE

Thursday, May 4 6:00 p.m. vs Norfolk (Orioles) LIVE Sunday, May 7 1:00 p.m. vs Gwinnett (Braves) SDD-7p on CSN Saturday, May 27 6:00 p.m. vs Buffalo (Blue Jays) LIVE Sunday, May 28 6:00 p.m. vs Buffalo (Blue Jays) SDD-7p on CSN Thursday, June 15 6:00 p.m. vs Louisville (Reds) LIVE Saturday, June 17 6:00 p.m. vs Indianapolis (Pirates) LIVE on CSN+HD Sunday, June 18 1:00 p.m. vs Indianapolis (Pirates) SDD-7p on CSN The announcers for the games are still to be determined.

White Sox dub Jose Abreu day-to-day after first baseman leaves game with hip flexor strain By Vinnie Duber / CSN Chicago | April 26, 2017 Jose Abreu has been classified as day-to-day by the White Sox. The first baseman left Wednesday's game against the visiting Kansas City Royals in the top of the fifth inning after stretching to field a ground ball and falling on the infield grass. He remained on the ground for a bit before getting to his feet. He was visited by the training staff before exiting. The White Sox announced an inning later that Abreu left with a mild right hip flexor strain, that he will be reevaluated when the team heads to Detroit and that he is considered day-to-day. Abreu entered action Wednesday with a .233/.291/.274 slash line, claiming three doubles and seven RBIs on the young season. He added to that total Wednesday with an RBI double in the first, and he scored the White Sox second run on Todd Frazier's double one batter later.

Former White Sox slugger Jim Thome taking his talents to MLB Network By Vinnie Duber / CSN Chicago | April 26, 2017 White Sox fans who miss Jim Thome will get to see the ex-slugger’s mug a whole lot more soon. Thome won’t be rejoining the White Sox lineup, but he is adding television analyst to his job description, supplementing his gig in the White Sox front office with regular appearances on MLB Network. “I’m excited,” Thome told reporters Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field. “The opportunity came up of maybe doing it, and then the first thing I thought of was my job with the White Sox. But it all worked out. “I love baseball. I think being around baseball and talking hitting and maybe sharing some of the stuff that I learned over a 22-year-career, maybe to help kids, coaches, just in general maybe share a little input. Learn a lot of stuff from a lot of great people: Hall of Famers that are on the show, players that I played with, players that I competed with. And to me the biggest thing, when you leave the game, you miss that teammate camaraderie atmosphere that I think this gives you.” Thome doesn’t know what his schedule will be or which of the network’s many shows he’ll be appearing on. He won’t be a full-time analyst, but he will be sharing his expertise on the art of hitting alongside his fellow players like Sean Casey, Al Leiter, Billy Ripken, Dan Plesac and plenty of others. Per MLB Network, Thome’s first appearance will be May 1. Thome, who works with the White Sox as a special assistant to general manager Rick Hahn, is most looking forward to doing a little teaching on the show that he hopes gets through to some younger players. “I’ve got a lot of drills I did when I played. So if I can teach that to the game, but also maybe to our youth side of the sport and also the college side,” he said. “Maybe you say something that helps a player and he goes out and does well. And that’s what it’s all about.” This move to TV isn’t necessarily something that Thome ever expected, though it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to fans and observers who remember his personality from his playing days.

“I didn’t (ever think about doing this). I have to say, I never thought about, ‘Would I ever be an analyst? Would I ever get on the media side?’” Thome said. “I always say in baseball you never say never. If an opportunity comes up that fits your family schedule and then your work schedule — my work schedule is this job with the White Sox. That’s really important to me because I’ve been here now almost five years. To me that’s important. “So to have them all mix and translate and feed off one or the other, being around here maybe will help me on the other side as well. That was the most important thing for me.” Of course, White Sox fans might be curious about another part of Thome’s future career: Will he ever return to the dugout? After Ozzie Guillen and Robin Ventura served as the team’s managers for a combined 13 seasons, speculation over whether some other former White Sox could ever sit in the manager’s chair has been fairly common, and Thome has been part of those “what if” conversations along with guys like A.J. Pierzynski and Paul Konerko. “Again I answer that kind of the same thing with this, you never say never. If an opportunity comes up and you feel it’s a great opportunity, you know, think about it, getting a manager’s job would be a tremendous opportunity,” Thome said. “So I would definitely have to think about that, yes.”

As White Sox bats heat up, Todd Frazier feeling like himself after bumpy start to 2017 By Vinnie Duber / CSN Chicago | April 26, 2017 Three games do not a comeback make, but Todd Frazier is feeling like his normal self again. Frazier’s been battling a host of health-related issues since the start of 2017, including injuries to his finger and oblique that hampered him in the spring and most recently a bout with the flu that cost him six of eight games and saw him lose 10 pounds. But the last three games have been more like it for Frazier, as the White Sox third baseman has gone 4-for-12 with five RBIs, four runs scored, three doubles and a pair of walks. In Tuesday’s win over the visiting Kansas City Royals, Frazier had a pair of doubles, matching his total from his previous 12 games. “It was weird to start off with the finger on something weird that happened last year and that turned into a cast. And then the oblique. It has been a crazy ride,” Frazier said after Tuesday’s game. “That’s why this game you’ve got to work your butt off in the offseason and be ready now, and I feel like I’m getting back to where I need to be. “I feel fine. I’m good. I’m trying to lift as much as I can. Maybe a little soreness from lifting trying to gain some muscle and some weight back. Trying to eat as much as I can too as well.” The time off would be enough to knock someone off their game, but Frazier — who posted career lows with a .225 batting average and .302 on-base percentage last season — was still looking to heat up after struggling to produce through the season’s first few weeks. In his first 10 games, the veteran third baseman slashed just .091/.189/.212 with just three hits and one RBI. So Frazier has been studying up. The entire White Sox lineup has feasted in the first two games of the current series against the Royals, combining for 22 runs on 29 hits. But Frazier credited his personal success to some of the work he’s been doing. “Just doing my homework,” he said Wednesday. “I’m just trying to go back and understand what I did in the other years that made me hit the ball better. Talk to the coaches. At the end of the day, it’s mental, that’s all it is. You’ve been hitting for all these years now, just got to understand to focus. “We see these pitchers a lot. People always told me, ‘You’ve got the upper hand, you see these guys all the time.’ So let’s start figuring out what they’re throwing.” Tuesday night, Frazier served as the White Sox designated hitter, the second time he’s been in the lineup but not in the field this season, matching the number of times he played DH in 2016, his first year with an American League team. While it presented a change of pace, Frazier had a positive review of something he hasn’t done very often. “I liked it. Every once and a while I think you need a day like that,” he said. “I think we’ve got a lot of guys that can do it. It was good to get Matt (Davidson) in there at third base, get his body going a little bit out in the field a little bit more. It’s like,

‘You got a day off, you’re DH’ing.’ Not really. You’ve got to keep the body moving, keep staying loose. It worked out well for everybody. “I did a little heavy lifting in the legs the day before, and Rick (Renteria) didn’t even know about that. I was a little sore, and I was like, ‘Good, I got a little DH spot today,’ which was great for me, and now I can focus on defense, as well.” In baseball, fortunes can change on a daily basis, so who knows if this will be the start of a surge for Frazier or just a brief spike in a long season. But if the White Sox can get Frazier and the rest of the lineup to keep hitting like they have the past few games, it could mean big things. “Everybody focused and prepared,” Frazier explained when asked about the big run totals in the last few games. “I think the little things, guys getting here earlier, guys wanting to get out there and take extra work, and the focus and determination that we’ve got going right now is pretty nice. Nobody’s trying to do too much. “You see our plate approach, you see guys hustling out balls. You watch guys like Avi Garcia, he’s got two big infield singles for him. At the end of the year, you look back at some things like that, a guy hits a one-hopper to second base and beats out a ball. That takes your average from .250 to .260 if you get three or four of those. Examples: Leury Garcia beating out a ground ball, getting a play overturned because of hustle. We don’t lack that this year, and I think that’s something big that we’re working on. “Win, lose or draw, we’re going to give 100 percent. We know we’ve got Rick Renteria coming in here telling us ‘Nobody’s feeling sorry for you. So pick yourself up. We’re professionals. We’re White Sox.’ I think that’s what we’re going by right now.”

David Robertson: ownership has always been Derek Jeter’s dream By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | April 26, 2017 Derek Jeter reportedly is about to fulfill his post-retirement dreams as part of the Miami Marlins ownership group. Jeter's former teammate couldn't be happier for him. White Sox closer David Robertson said that the future first-ballot Hall of Famer has long shared the hope he'd one day become an owner. Jeter has accomplished that goal as he's reportedly part of a group that includes former Florida governor Jeb Bush that on Tuesday placed the highest bid and agreed to purchase the Marlins for $1.3 billion. "I know that’s always been a dream of his,” Robertson said. “People would ask him all the time, ‘What are you going to do when you’re done playing baseball?’ He said, ‘I want to own a team.’ So now it’s going to be everything from the office. I’m excited to see it happen.” A 14-time All-Star, Jeter reportedly earned $265 million during a 20-year playing career, according to baseball-reference.com. After retiring in 2014, Jeter also started The Players Tribune, a successful website dedicated to athletes’ first-person stories. While Bush, who had an unsuccessful run to be the Republican Presidential candidate in 2016, is expected to be the controlling party of the group, Jeter is reportedly expected to have an active role. “He’s been around a long time and I don’t think there’s any facet of the game he doesn’t know,” Robertson said. “I think him being an owner fits for sure. “He’s a pretty smart individual. I’m just excited for him.” Jeter and his partners reportedly beat out a bid by a group that included Hall of Famer Tom Glavine.

Mission accomplished: Jose Quintana fans 10 in posting first victory Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | April 26, 2017 Todd Frazier could see it in Jose Quintana's face Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field. After starting the year with four consecutive losses, the White Sox left-hander was on a mission to earn a personal victory and secure a three-game series sweep against the Royals. Quintana delivered, holding the Royals to two runs over six innings and striking out 10 in a 5-2 victory, his first since Sept. 24, 2016.

"He had some look about him — it was weird," Frazier said. "He was getting mad at me because I didn't get the ball back to him in time. I love that stuff. I'll definitely make sure I get it to him quicker. He had a mentality about him to put fear in some hitters' eyes." Bearing the moniker of Sox ace for the first time in his career, Quintana clearly was dissatisfied with a start that included a 6.17 ERA through four starts and roused speculation that his trade value for the rebuilding Sox was plummeting. In danger of becoming the first Sox pitcher since Randy Scarbery in 1979 to lose his first five starts in a season, Quintana recognized afterward he "needed that win." "I never started like that, so I'm really proud of the first win for me," Quintana said. "The first of many, so I can't wait to keep doing my job." After striking out seven of the first 10 batters he faced, Quintana had to labor to make it through his final three innings. He stranded runners on the corners in the fourth when he struck out Whit Merrifield looking. Jose Abreu's fielding error in the fifth gave the Royals two runners on base with no outs, and Jorge Bonifacio's RBI single gave the Royals their first run. But after Bonifacio's hit, Quintana got a strikeout, a popout and a lineout to limit the damage to one unearned run. The Royals added a run on Alcides Escobar's groundout in the sixth before Quintana used a curveball on a full count to strike out Cheslor Cuthbert to end his day. "I had a lot of confidence in that pitch in that moment because I threw a couple of fastballs before and it was a full count," Quintana said. "So it was time to throw offspeed. … I've been working on that the last couple of days, and it worked good today." Quintana threw just 99 pitches and told Sox manager Rick Renteria that he wanted to go out for the seventh. But the Sox's recently thriving Garcia connection made Renteria deem it unnecessary. Avisail Garcia hit a two-run, 437-foot homer to center field off Royals starter Nate Karns in the bottom of the sixth to give the Sox a 4-2 lead and put Quintana in line for the victory. Leury Garcia added a solo homer — his second of the year — in the seventh off Peter Moylan to provide an insurance run. "(Avisail) hit the ball at the right time," Quintana said. "He told me, 'That's for you.'" Dan Jennings, Tommy Kahnle, Nate Jones and David Robertson continued the bullpen's impressive start with three scoreless innings, and Robertson picked up his fifth save. The Sox outscored the Royals 27-8 in the three-game series for their first sweep of the season. They hit the road for a three-game series against the Tigers on Friday with an 11-9 record. "They come in; they do their job," Renteria said of the bullpen. "One of the things we talked about in spring was we need outs from you guys. We're not looking at innings. We just look for outs. Their approach has been pretty solid."

Former White Sox ace Chris Sale thriving in Boston as he did in Chicago Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune | April 27, 2017 The White Sox seem to be surviving quite nicely without Chris Sale, the first casualty of the rebuild that most agreed had to happen. They have the best ERA in the majors, an 11-9 record after sweeping the Royals and two prospects in Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech who should be prime-time players before too long. But no one at Fenway Park has any regrets over the Red Sox's decision to deal the future for the present. Sale is thriving in his new socks, giving Red Sox fans hope they finally can end their three-year championship drought. Heading into Thursday night's start against the Yankees, Sale has a 0.91 ERA with 42 strikeouts in only 29 2/3 innings, dominating as he did in Chicago and making it all look easy. In records dating back to 1893, Sale's 42 strikeouts are the

third-most of any pitcher in his first four games with a club, following Pedro Martinez, who had 44 with the Red Sox in 1998, and Randy Johnson, who also had 44 in his first year with the Diamondbacks in 1999. "He's lights out, man," second baseman Dustin Pedroia said Wednesday. "Every time he takes the ball he competes with great stuff. He knows what he's doing, and he's fun to play behind. "There have been a couple of times when I've been kind of flat-footed because we didn't get a ball out there. He's striking everybody out. He has been unbelievable." Sale's command has been on with his fastball, slider and changeup, making him almost unhittable at times. "He's firing strikes with everything," fellow starter David Price said. "Whenever you can consistently do that with all your pitches, when you have the stuff he has, it makes the game look a lot easier than it really is. That's what he has been doing. "Hopefully he can continue … (and) do some pretty special things." No one is too surprised. Sale, after all, has been one of the game's best pitchers since coming up with the White Sox in 2010, averaging 10.1 strikeouts per 9 innings with a 1.06 WHIP in 228 games in Chicago. He signed a team-friendly contract and never complained, even though the Sox got a new Porsche for the price of a 1971 Pinto. Still, the White Sox decided Sale had to go to start the rebuild, so general manager Rick Hahn dealt him to the Red Sox and never looked back. Joining Price and 2016 Cy Young winner Rick Porcello in the rotation with a killer lineup, the Red Sox quickly became favorites to get back to the World Series. Expectations have been muted a bit with Price on the disabled list with elbow soreness, but if he comes back strong the Red Sox could be unstoppable. Sale steps into the heated Red Sox-Yankees feud for the first time Thursday, facing Masahiro Tanaka in the finale of a rain-shortened series. He always fared well against New York with the White Sox, going 4-1 with a 1.17 ERA, the lowest ERA for any pitcher against the Yankees since it became an official stat in 1912. In Boston, as it was in Chicago, everyone looks forward to a Sale start. "He's electric," center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. said. "He's a special pitcher, a special teammate. I faced him a few times the last couple of years. Didn't like it. It's better off now that he's on this side. "He's fun to watch and fun to play behind. Man, I can't wait to see more of him." The Chicago media mostly left Sale alone and he has been low key here as well, staying out of sight in the clubhouse and avoiding attention. "He stays away from the media," Price said. "I don't ever see the media asking him to do interviews or whatever." Sale can appreciate that, and he also can breathe easily knowing he has nothing to do with the latest Red Sox controversy, which stems from pitcher Matt Barnes throwing at Manny Machado's head on Sunday, a couple of days after Machado's takeout slide at second took Pedroia out of the game. TV cameras picked up Pedroia telling Machado "It's not me, it's them." Now Pedroia is getting lambasted on talk-radio for disassociating himself from Barnes' head-hunting ways, which earned a four-game suspension. Everything tends to get magnified in Boston, whereas Sale's twin controversies last year in Chicago — ripping team executive vice president Ken Williams for the Adam LaRoche fiasco and slicing up throwback jerseys — blew over quickly and didn't affect his popularity. Asked in spring training how he would react in Boston if the same incident happened, Sale joked: "I don't think they have throwbacks here."

If Sale continues to put up numbers like this, White Sox fans may be asking for years why management couldn't build around him instead of dealing him in his prime. Price said he understood the thinking. "The White Sox just hadn't done what they were expected to do when they had that core of guys there for quite a while," he said. "They were never able to advance to where they wanted to get to. So they had to make a decision for the organization. "Hopefully it works out for them, and us as well."

Hot-hitting Jose Abreu hopes hip strain won't keep him from Tigers series Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | April 26, 2017 Jose Abreu slipped on the infield grass and his legs nearly parted into the splits in the fifth inning Wednesday against the Royals at Guaranteed Rate Field. The botched attempt at fielding Cheslor Cuthbert's soft grounder gave the Royals two runners on base with nobody out. Worse yet, it knocked Abreu from the game just as he is starting to roll at the plate. With two hits Wednesday, Abreu has gone 11-for-24 over his last seven games to raise his batting average from .157 to .253. Sox manager Rick Renteria said afterward Abreu didn't want to leave the game, though he limped off the field on his own with a mild right hip flexor strain. The Sox said he will be re-evaluated during the team's three-game series against the Tigers in Detroit this weekend, but Abreu said through a team interpreter that with a day off Thursday he expects to be able to play Friday. "I went to try to catch the ball and my right leg slipped. It felt like a strain in my groin," Abreu said. "I got treatment and I feel good. The day off tomorrow is going to help." Abreu doubled in the first and fourth innings against Royals right-hander Nate Karns. His first-inning hit down the left-field line drove in the club's first run of the game. "I always want more," Abreu said. "The results are getting better than probably a week ago, but I'm working hard to have my offense where I want it to be." The Sox have dealt with a long list of injuries in the first month of the season, but mostly to their pitchers. Right-handers James Shields, Jake Petricka and Zach Putnam and left-hander Carlos Rodon are all on the 10-day disabled list. Payoff: Jim Thome, who serves as a special assistant to Sox general manager Rick Hahn, was among the staff members to work with Matt Davidson as he struggled in the minors the last two seasons. Thome said he was "so happy" to see Davidson jump to a strong start this season. Davidson is hitting .311 after going 0-for-3 Wednesday. "Matt has done a wonderful job getting to where he's at by himself," Thome said. "There have been a lot of people who have helped him, but he's the guy who walks on deck and gets in that box and does it. … He looks relaxed. He's confident. That's what the game is all about for sure." Approved dive: Like many baseball fans, Renteria watched clips of Blue Jays veteran Chris Coghlan diving over Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina to score a run in Tuesday's game. Renteria gave the move his nod of approval. "That was pretty interesting, pretty neat," Renteria said. "If you're not going to go through somebody, might as well go over him. He did the right thing at that point." When Renteria was informed reliever Nate Jones claimed to make such a move in Little League, he didn't blink. "If he says he did it, I believe he did," Renteria said.

Jim Thome lands MLB Network gig on top of White Sox front-office position

Phil Rosenthal / Chicago Tribune | April 26, 2017 Former White Sox slugger Jim Thome is joining MLB Network as a part-time studio analyst, and he sounds almost giddy talking about it. “I was in a couple months ago, had the opportunity to go into Studio 42 and work with Sean Casey, and I loved it, absolutely loved it,” Thome said ahead of the cable network’s announcement of his hire, scheduled for Wednesday. “This is a cool opportunity.” While his February guest shot obviously went well, Thome’s official debut on the network is set for 5 p.m. Monday on “MLB Tonight” alongside Casey, who was very briefly a teammate with the Cleveland Indians in 1997, and Fran Charles. MLB Network plans to use Thome across all of its studio programming while he continues to work for the White Sox as special assistant to general manager Rick Hahn, a position he has held since 2013. Thome, who counts himself among the channel’s fans, acknowledges it’s a sweet arrangement: “Sit around, watch the games, share some knowledge, learn a little bit (from the other) great analysts … and still enjoy retired life, still enjoy my job with the White Sox.” A veteran of 22 major-league seasons as an infielder and designated hitter with a half-dozen ballclubs, Thome ranks No. 7 on the all-time home-run list. He will make his debut on the Hall of Fame ballot at the end of this year. Not waiting for Cooperstown, the Indians, for whom Thome played from 1992 to 2002 and again in 2011, already have immortalized him with an 8-foot statue at Progressive Field. “Not only is Jim Thome one of the most accomplished offensive players of all time, he is widely known throughout Major League Baseball as someone with a big heart and a passion for the game that he shares with everyone he meets,” Rob McGlarry, president of MLB Network, said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to welcome him to MLB Network and, in particular, to Studio 42, where he will undoubtedly take our former left-handed pitchers deep.” New food offerings at Guaranteed Rate Field A look at the new White Sox food offerings at Guaranteed Rate Field. Thome is the third former Chicago ballplayer to score a national TV analyst position in recent weeks. David Ross of “Dancing with the Stars” and Cubs World Series fame will work for ESPN in addition to his own front-office special assistant position with the Cubs. Fox Sports picked up A.J. Pierzynski, a veteran of the 2005 World Series champion White Sox. Unlike the two ex-catchers, Thome didn’t make a beeline to the microphone when he was through as a player. “I’ll be honest,” Thome said. “Early on when I retired, I wouldn’t say it was on my radar. Then when I went in and experienced it, I was like, whoa, this is fun.” Thome said he still has little interest in the time and travel working as full-time broadcaster would demand. He declined to discuss his commitment to MLB Network beyond saying “you’ll see me pop up here and there” and that he is keen on maintaining the life-work balance he has enjoyed since he stopped playing in 2012. “I don’t want to get into the amount of days,” he said. “It’s not a complete full-time gig. … I love being my son’s youth baseball coach, being around my daughter and her theater, and I love my job with the White Sox.” Thome hit 134 of his 612 career home runs during his 2006-2009 run on the South Side. His 337 home runs with the Indians are the most in franchise history. The rest came while playing for the Phillies, Dodgers, Twins and Orioles, including a National League-leading 47 in 2003 for Philadelphia. On the career home-run list, Thome trails only Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Alex Rodriguez, Willie Mays and Ken Griffey Jr., three homers ahead of No. 8 Sammy Sosa’s 609. The Angels' Albert Pujols is the only active player within 160 homers of Thome. At No. 9 with 593, however, Pujols is in striking distance despite adding just two so far this season.

Thome said he expects TV work to be like anything else in that “you learn as you go.” He wants his contributions to be educational and his criticism constructive. “I’m not here to bash anybody, I’m not here to break down anyone, but I would do it as a way of helping,” he said. “Maybe that drew (MLB Network) to me, the way I go about it. Who knows?” White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said when the team hired Thome as a special assistant that he thought Thome could someday become a major-league manager. That possibility, unlike full-time media work, does intrigue Thome. “If an opportunity was to come up like that, then I think you definitely have to listen,” he said.

Garcias, Quintana help White Sox complete sweep of Royals Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun Times | April 26, 2017 Jose Quintana brought some ‘tude’ to the ballpark Wednesday, Avisail Garcia brought his red-hot bat and the White Sox completed a three-game sweep of the struggling Royals with a 5-2 win for their fourth victory in a row. It was the first win of the season for Quintana, who was the first Sox pitcher to make three straight starts of at least five innings with zero run support since 1967. Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier gave him two-out, back-to-back RBI doubles against right-hander Nate Karns in the first first, and Garcia broke a tie with a 437-foot homer to center, his fourth of the season, in the sixth. He told me, ‘That’s for you,’ ” a beaming Quintana (1-4) said after striking out 10 over six innings of two-run (one earned) ball. Quintana has been a poster child for pitching consistently well through poor run support throughout his career but with trade rumors swirling around him throughout the offseason and spring training, he hadn’t been at his best in his first four starts. He entered with a 6.17 ERA. The All-Star lefty was determined to keep the somewhat surprising Sox on a roll, and they claimed their fourth straight victory to improve to 11-9, which has the rebuilding Sox sitting in a three-way tie atop the AL Central standings. “I saw it in his face,’’ third baseman Todd Frazier said. “He had some look about him, getting mad at me because I didn’t get the ball back to him in time. I love that stuff. “I’ll definitely make sure I get it to him quicker from now on. He had a mentality about him, you know, put fear in some hitters eyes.’’ The Royals, losers of eight straight, haven’t put much fear into anyone lately, but the Sox did what they needed to keep them down. “Yeah, it was a mission,’’ Quintana said. “Everybody was doing his job. I needed this outing. It was extra motivation to win my first one. … I threw the ball well.’’ “The thing today was he commanded both sides of the plate,’’ catcher Geovany Soto said. “Both sides with breaking pitches and elevating hitters eye levels with [fastballs].’’ Manager Rick Renteria told Quintana after his sixth inning, when he was at 99 pitches, that he would give in to the lefty’s wishes and let him pitch the seventh if the game was tied because Renteria wanted him to have a chance for the decision. When Garcia put the Sox in front, Renteria turned it over to relievers Dan Jennings, Tommy Kahnle, Nate Jones and David Robertson, who combined for three scoreless innings. “The epitome of a solid bullpen,’’ Renteria said. “They’ve been excellent.’’ Jennings extended his scoreless streak to six appearances and Robertson collected his fifth save and 76th as a Sox, passing Terry Forster for sixth all time. “To sweep these guys early in the season, that’s really important for us,’’ Quintana said. Garcia, who is batting .373 with 17 RBI, also made a good charging catch and almost turned it into a double play. No. 9 hitter Leury Garcia, who had three hits in each of the previous two games, homered in the seventh for a fifth run.

What’s going on here? The Sox, in a rebuild, are pitching and playing well with what they have. “Everybody is focused and prepared,’’ Frazier said. “The little things, guys getting here earlier, wanting to get out there and take extra work, and the determination that we’ve got going right now is pretty nice.’’ The Sox are running everything out and playing a mostly clean brand of ball. And having fun. “That’s it, like little kids,’’ Frazier said. “You see us before the games. Everybody’s got a handshake, everybody’s got a little thing going with each other. Win, lose or draw, we’re going to give 100 percent. We know we’ve got Rick Renteria coming in here telling us ‘Nobody’s feeling sorry for you. So pick yourself up. We’re White Sox.’ That’s what we’re going on right now.”

Jose Abreu day-to-day with mild hip-flexor strain Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun Times | April 26, 2017 Jose Abreu is day-to-day with a mild right hip flexor strain after the first baseman injured himself trying to make a play on a ground ball in the fifth inning of the White Sox’ 5-2 win over the Royals on Wednesday. Abreu did a split with his back to home plate trying to plant his right foot on the infield grass after Cheslor Cuthbert’s ground ball went off his glove. He was charged with his fourth error, then walked off alongside trainer Herm Schneider with a slight limp. The Sox are off Thursday and Abreu will be re-evaluated Friday when the team opens a 10-game road trip in Detroit. Abreu, who doubled in his two at-bats against right-hander Nate Karns, is in the midst of his best hitting groove of the season with five multihit games in his last seven to raise his average to .253. He is still looking for his first homer. The Abreu error led to the Royals’ first run, which was unearned, against lefty Jose Quintana. Jose Abreu. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) Todd Frazier moved from third base to first, Tyler Saladino from second to third and Yolmer Sanchez came into the game at second. Abreu, who described it as a groin issue, tried to talk manager Rick Renteria into letting him stay in the game. “I got treatment and I feel good right now,’’ he said through translator Billy Russo. “The day off is going to help and I hope to be ready for the first game in Detroit.’’ With an operating weight of 10,130 pounds, the Takeuchi TL10V2 has a ROC of 2,522 pounds. The mac... Shields update James Shields, on the 10-day disabled (retroactive to April 18) with a right lat strain, was “very encouraged” with progress made in the last day or so. “It has kind of subsided a little bit,’’ said Shields, who hopes to resume throwing this weekend. “We’re going to ramp it up in the next couple of days and see how it feels.’’ Going on the DL for the first time in his career was a tough pill to swallow for Shields. He took a lot of pride in always being available. “I still take pride in that,’’ Shields said. “I’ve always been a believer in doing as much as you can within your realm of posting every five days. Being on the DL is a new thing and it’s not fun. I want to get back on the field as quickly as possible.’’ Farm show Comcast Sports Net will broadcast eight Charlotte Knights games, giving fans a chance to see promising young talent like Yoan Moncada, the No. 1 rated prospect according to MLBPipeline.com. The first live telecast is May 3. It’s the first time

CSN will do an entire Class AAA series.

Jim Thome joins MLB Network as studio analyst Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun Times | April 26, 2017 Jim Thome has been hired by MLB Network for studio work. “It’s not full-time but it gives me an opportunity to have a little fun,’’ said Thome, who will continue in his duties as a special assistant to general manager Rick Hahn. Thome, who hit 612 homers, including his 500th as a White Sox in 2007, isn’t sure how much broadcasting is in his future. He also hasn’t ruled out managing. Jim Thome talks to reporters Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Photo by Daryl Van Schouwen) “I answer that the same way with, ‘You never say never,’ ’’ Thome said. “If an opportunity comes up and you feel it’s a great opportunity you know, think about it. Getting a manager’s job would be a tremendous opportunity. So I would definitely have to think about that, yes.’’ Thome worked for MLB Network as a guest in February. His first official gig is Monday on ‘‘MLB Tonight’’ alongside Sean Casey. Left-hander David Robertson? Right-hander David Robertson shags balls in the outfield with a left-hander’s glove and throws balls back to the infield with the same fluid motion with his left hand. “If you didn’t know I was right-handed and saw me throwing from the outfield you’d say, ‘There’s a left-hander,’ ’’ Robertson said. Yes you would. Which brings to mind how entertaining it might be to see the Sox closer pitch an inning left-handed in a lopsided game to save the bullpen. Robertson said he’d be on board with it. “I could probably throw 80 [mph],’’ he said. Robertson said he last threw left-handed off a mound — on the side — while playing in the Cape Cod League in 2006, before the Yankees drafted him. If he got serious about it, he believes he could build up velocity and be an effective major league pitcher from the left side. “I could probably do it,’’ he said. “If I trained hard for six weeks I could probably pitch and throw strikes.’’ On deck The Sox have an off day Thursday before opening a 10-game road trip in Detroit Friday. Probables for the Tigers series: Friday: Mike Pelfrey (0-1, 4.15) vs. Matthew Boyd (2-1, 3.86), 6:10, Ch. 9, 890-AM Saturday: Derek Holland (2-2, 1.99) vs. Michael Fulmer (2-1, 2.88), 12:10, CSN, 890-AM Sunday: Miguel González (3-0, 2.00) vs. Jordan Zimmermann (2-1, 6.35), 12:10, Ch. 9, 890-AM

Feeling good, Frazier back to taking healthy cuts for Sox Scot Gregor / Daily Herald | April 26, 2017 Todd Frazier showed up at SoxFest in late January wearing a splint on his left index finger. He was back to normal three weeks later when spring training opened, but Frazier proceeded to miss nearly a month in spring training with an oblique strain.

On the White Sox's first road trip of the season, Frazier was sidelined six of the nine games with the flu. Back in the lineup the past six games, Frazier is slowly starting to hit the ball with authority again. "I feel fine," Frazier said. "I've been feeling like myself for the past couple days. Just making a little adjustment at the plate and getting more on top of the ball instead of underneath, that's my main focus." He is still stuck on 1 home run after hitting a career-high 40 last season, but Frazier showed he's rounding back into form with 4 doubles and 6 RBI in the Sox's three-game sweep over the Royals. "I know when I'm going good, I square the ball up," Frazier said. "If I get underneath it too much, it's going to pop fly or foul it off. You sit back like, 'God, how did I miss that?' Just underneath. So it's the timing of getting that top hand on top of the ball and that's what the cage is for, doing those drills." Thome on TV: Jim Thome, the White Sox's former designated hitter and current special assistant to general manager Rick Hahn, is joining MLB Network as a studio analyst. He'll work on a part-time basis. "I'm excited," said Thome, who will be eligible for Hall of Fame induction next year. "When I went there in February and had an opportunity to go and work with Sean Casey and to be around, I was there for three days and didn't really think anything would happen. And then the opportunity came up of maybe doing it and then the first thing I thought of was my job with the White Sox. "But it all worked out. I think it's a great group of people that share great knowledge to the game. I love baseball. I think being around baseball and talking hitting and maybe sharing some of the stuff that I learned over a 22-year-career, maybe to help kids, coaches, just in general maybe share a little input." Hawk talk: White Sox TV broadcaster Ken "Hawk" Harrelson is the headliner on June 15 before the Kane County Cougars play the Peoria Chiefs at Northwestern Medicine Field. For $75, fans can hear Harrelson and Cougars owner Bob Froehlich speak and answer questions. A Harrelson bobblehead, buffet dinner and Super Suite game ticket are also included.

Chicago White Sox roll past Royals for 4th straight win Scot Gregor / Daily Herald | April 26, 2017 Avisail Garcia has been carrying the Chicago White Sox's offense since the season started, and the right fielder did some more heavy lifting on Wednesday afternoon. The timing couldn't have been better, considering hard-luck lefty Jose Quintana was on the mound. Entering his start against the Kansas City Royals with an 0-4 record, Quintana also had zero runs of support when he was in the game in each of his last three outings. The Sox quickly staked him to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. With the game tied at 2 in the sixth, Garcia hit a mammoth 2-run homer to center field, powering Quintana to his first win on the season. "It's amazing," Quintana said. "He hit the ball at the right time. It was a good time. He told me, 'That's for you.' I was happy with that." The White Sox beat the Royals 5-2 at Guaranteed Rate Field to complete a three-game sweep while extending their overall winning streak to four games. Quintana pitched 6 innings against a struggling K.C. team that has dropped seven straight. He allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 5 hits and 2 walks to go with 10 strikeouts. "I needed this outing," Quintana said. "I felt really good on the mound. It was extra motivation to win my first one. (Catcher Geovany) Soto called a good game, and we focused the whole game. I threw the ball well."

Garcia, who leads the American League with a .373 batting average, continues to hit the ball well. His 2-run homer off Royals starter Nate Karns soared 437 feet and was his fourth of the season. Garcia was, naturally, lifting weights after the game and not available for questions. Teammate Todd Frazier was happy to speak for him. "His approach hasn't changed," Frazier said. "He had an 0-for-4 day the other day and he kept it simple again. Kept his hands in tight and drove the ball. Not just feeling for it, driving it. "Look at the size of him. He could be a tight end for the Bears. He's working his tail off. He understands you need to get off to a good start and keep it going. He's having a spectacular year." With 2 doubles in as many at-bats against Karns, Jose Abreu was having a spectacular game before leaving in the fifth inning with a groin injury. Abreu moved to his right to field a Cheslor Cuthbert groundball, which he dropped for an error. Abreu slipped on the play and wound up doing the splits. He will be re-evaluated before Friday's game at Detroit and is listed as day-to-day. "I feel good right now," Abreu said through an interpreter. "I got treatment and I feel good. The day off tomorrow is going to help and I hope to be ready for the first game in Detroit."

Jim Thome Adds MLB Network Work To His Plate By Bruce Levine / CBS Chicago | April 26, 2017 CHICAGO (CBS) — The Hall of Fame is waiting for former slugger Jim Thome to become eligible. Meanwhile, the 46-year-old Thome, a Peoria native, has been busy adding jobs to his baseball resume. Already a special assistant to the Chicago White Sox front office, Thome will now offer his expertise to MLB Network. Starting May 1, Thome will make appearances live in the East Coast studios and show his hitting expertise in “Studio 42,” where the station’s analysts break down different phases of the game with instructional sessions. “When I went there (to the studios) in February and had an opportunity to work with (analyst) Sean Casey for three days, I didn’t think anything would happen,” Thome said. “Then the opportunity came up. I thought about how it would affect my job with the White Sox. It all worked out. I am excited about the opportunity. It will be fun being with a bunch of people who share great knowledge of the game. I look forward to sharing things I have learned over a 22-year career, helping kids.” Thome is working his White Sox job for this next week, observing and helping players in the team’s minor league system. His MLB Network gig will be part time, he said, adding the network and the White Sox are on the same page as far as his accessibility to the other entity. “You have ‘MLB Tonight’ and other shows — this is not a full-time job,” Thome said. “Whenever they need me to come in as long as doesn’t coincide with this (White Sox) job, I will do the best I can to coordinate it and go on.” Thome will be eligible to be on the Hall of Fame ballot in January 2018. Thome hit 612 career homers, seventh most all time. His 1,699 RBIs are 26th all time. Thome was a five-time All-Star during a career in which he played for the Indians, Phillies, White Sox, Dodgers, Twins and Orioles. Thome played for the White Sox from 2006-’09.

Jose Quintana Pitches Like An Ace In White Sox’s Win By Bruce Levine / CBS Chicago | April 26, 2017 CHICAGO (CBS) — The White Sox sweep of of the Royals was completed with a solid performance by left-hander Jose Quintana in a 5-2 win at Guaranteed Rate Field on Wednesday afternoon. Quintana struck out seven of the first 10 batters he faced en route to his first win of 2017. He went six innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits and two walks while striking out 10. As he improved to 1-4 and the White Sox (11-9) won their fourth straight game, Quintana reached double-digit strikeouts for the eighth time in his career. Quintana — who is third in quality starts in baseball since 2012 — had two poor outings and had twice received poor run support in losing his first four starts of the season.

“I saw something different in his face today,” said third baseman Todd Frazier, who drove in who drove a run with an RBI double in the first inning. “He was getting mad at me because I wasn’t getting him the ball back right away. I love that stuff. He had some mentality about him. He put some fear in hitters’ eyes.” Eight scouts were in the stands watching Quintana at his best Wednesday. An error by first baseman Jose Abreu cost Quintana an unearned run in the fifth. Abreu incurred a mild right hip flexor on the play while moving to his left to field a groundball and soon left the game. His status was listed as day to day. Abreu pointed to his upper groin area in explaining where the pain was. “I will play in the first game in Detriot,” Abreu said through translator Billy Russo and in reference to Friday’s game after an off day. “I didn’t want to leave the field. He is the boss (manager Rick Renteria and the trainers). They made the decision, and you have to accept it.” After the Royals tied the game in the top of the sixth inning at 2-2, White Sox outfielder Avisail Garcia hit a two-run homer in the bottom half to allow Quintana to leave with the lead and nab the eventual victory. Garcia has a team-best 18 RBIs. Like Abreu, Quintana lobbied to stay in the game longer. “I told him I wanted to stay in the game,” Quintana said about a conversation he had with Renteria in the sixth inning. “He said if we take the lead, you’re out. If we are tied, you are back. Every time I am in the game, I want to stay.” Quintana has been professional while being at the center of continued trade speculation. And for the most part, he appears unaffected by the rumor mill that’s linked him to a handful of teams. “He is very consistent,” Renteria said of Quintana. “He is very even-keeled. His preparation is always the same. He works hard with (pitching coach Don Cooper) and all of our pitching coaches. His goal is to make sure he is on track to make his next start and be as effective as he possibly can be.”

Jim Thome brings his legendary hitting prowess to MLB Network Chris Cwik / Yahoo Sports | April 26, 2017 When Jim Thome talks hitting, people tend to pay attention. One look at his stats and you know he has instant credibility. Few players can put up a Hall of Fame-caliber .276/.402/.554 slash line, with 612 home runs over 22 years in the majors. On top of that, Thome’s gregarious personality makes him the perfect storyteller. Someone who can entertain and educate an audience at the same time. If those traits make you think: Hey, this guy would make for one heck of a broadcaster, you aren’t alone. Thome will get an opportunity to share his thoughts on all things hitting as the newest analyst at MLB Network. The 22-year MLB veteran will make his official debut as an analyst May 1 on “MLB Tonight.” It won’t be the first time Thome has been on the network, though. Thome made a guest appearance breaking down hitting mechanics with former teammate Sean Casey in February. That experience played a pivotal role in convincing Thome to make the transition to television. “Going there two months ago and going into Studio 42 and talking hitting with Sean Casey and getting an opportunity just to be around it for a couple days, I thought to myself, ‘Wow, I had a really good time,’ ” Thome says. “I got an opportunity to come aboard, and to me it was pretty special. To give back a little knowledge, and be around a lot of analysts who know what’s going on and really have a great insight to the game … it’s a really cool thing. I’ll be honest, I was very excited.” Fans ought to be as well. Thome’s on-field numbers speak for themselves. He was one of his era’s finest power hitters, but also displayed tremendous patience at the plate. While that approach worked for him, Thome believes it’s best for hitters to “know thyself.” Thome credits a strong work ethic and a routine-oriented approach for his success on a daily basis. He would get himself into a pattern before each game, only making changes when certain pitchers were on the mound. Thome didn’t feel the need to copy what other players did, because he believes all hitters are different.

But as an analyst, he’ll be responsible for breaking down guys with different approaches. While Thome admits he didn’t watch a lot of tape of himself when he played, he’s looking forward to breaking down others on video. “You can break down the fundamental aspects [of a swing],” Thome says. “Where is your base? Do you have a leg kick? Where are your hands? There are many things that I think in this job that I’ll be able to sit and watch on film. And I wasn’t a big film guy, but I do watch hitters. I would hope to be able to share some of that knowledge from a 22-year career that I was taught and also give back what I learned as well. That’s the fun part for me.” Another big thing Thome may have to adjust to is the emergence of new statistics. With the explosion of Statcast, fans and analysts now have every number imaginable at their fingertips. Things like exit velocity and launch angle weren’t prevalent when Thome played, but he sees the value in combining an old-school approach with the new metrics. “I only knew one way when I played,” he says. “The unique thing about MLB Network is they [use advanced stats]. You never want to take away all the little things the fans love. The exit velocity. [Home run] distance. All that. There’s 100 percent accuracy to all of it. “Then I think there’s accuracy to the old-school way we were taught the game too. We didn’t know about [Statcast], so it didn’t clog our brain. You would see a stat and you would go, ‘OK, I’ve got 70 walks.’ I think so much is broken down, and not in a bad way, but to help the game grow and have people understand how really, truly good a player is today, which is a great thing.” Finding the right balance between the two shouldn’t be an issue for Thome. His enthusiasm for the game right now couldn’t be more evident. Thome cites a number of young players, such as Mike Trout and Bryce Harper, as guys he enjoys watching. He believes Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor is a “special talent,” and marvels at how athletically gifted players are today. Of course, he’s also quick to point out his admiration for veterans such as Miguel Cabrera and Jose Abreu. But if you needed more evidence Thome is excited about his new role, it’s how quickly he offers up amazement at how much pitching has changed since he stopped playing. “It seems to me over the last five years since I retired,” Thome says, “has velocity actually gone up on average?” In that moment, it’s not hard to imagine Thome breaking down the next at-bat Harper takes against Noah Syndergaard. Faced with that proposal, only one thing comes to Thome’s mind. “The game of baseball is in a great spot right now for sure,” he says. We couldn’t have said it any better.

Jim Thome isn't crushing awesome homers anymore, but he's still getting his 'baseball fix' Ted Berg / USA Today | April 26, 2017 “Hitting home runs is a lot of fun,” says Jim Thome, one of the most qualified people in history to speak on the topic. “I miss competing, but I don’t crave it. It’s not something where everyday I go, ‘oh my gosh, I’ve got to compete.'” Thome finished a long and successful playing career in 2012 with 612 homers and a stellar .956 OPS on his resume. These days, he only swings a bat if he’s working with his 9-year-old son, Landon. He doesn’t take batting practice anymore, and outside of a single “throwback” exhibition game a couple of years ago, he hasn’t had any real chance to sock dingers since he hung ’em up. Now 46, the five-time All-Star told USA TODAY Sports that he gets his “baseball fix” from his involvement in the game in a couple of roles: His job as a special assistant to the White Sox’ front office, and a new gig as an on-air analyst for MLB Network that starts with his season debut on MLB Tonight on May 1. “If I wasn’t around the game, I wonder if I might crave it more,” Thome said. “But being around it, and listening, and taking notes and offering advice when asked, that’s giving me that fix that I think I might need if I didn’t have it. “I love baseball. (Joining MLB Network) gives me an opportunity just to do something that I’ve loved, and be around it, and maybe share a little bit of knowledge.”

Plenty of guys Thome played with and against remain in the Majors, but there’s only one man left standing from Thome’s early seasons with the Cleveland Indians in the late 1990s. And Thome, like just about everyone else, seems impressed with 43-year-old Braves starter Bartolo Colon’s continued success. “This is the thing: Even when we were together during his young years, he was a great athlete,” Thome said. “He is still a really good athlete. I think what he’s done well is, obviously he’s kept his arm in shape, he’s durable, you have to be athletic, and, I think, the love of the game — the passion, the love, the desire to keep competing. I would describe it as something similar to Moyer, someone who truly loved the game and loved to pitch. “It’s pretty cool from my end, because, being his teammate and watching him still compete. It’s pretty special for the game to see a guy like that.” A native of Peoria, Illinois, Thome grew up watching Cubs games on superstation WGN, then imitating players’ swings with his friends in their backyards. He was especially fond of Dave Kingman, now legendary for his monstrous power. At age 9, Thome jumped a Wrigley Field railing to get into the Cubs’ dugout in pursuit of Kingman’s autograph. He was quickly rebuffed. “Kids want autographs of players they love, and mine at that time was Dave Kingman,” he said. “I jumped on the field. I wanted an autograph, but instantly they got me back in the stands.” “(Kingman) hit long home runs. He hit the high, long home runs that went out onto Waveland Avenue, and when the wind was blowing out, there was always a chance Dave Kingman was going to hit a homer…. I just appreciated the long home runs.”

Jim Thome: Vibe around Cleveland Indians similar to one surrounding '90s Tribe teams By Zack Meisel / cleveland.com | April 26, 2017 CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jim Thome has spent plenty of time around the Indians lately. He was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame last summer. He took his son to Game 5 of the World Series at Wrigley Field, where he hoped to witness his former team capture a long-awaited championship. He threw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to Game 7 at Progressive Field. He ventured to Cleveland for a late-January weekend, when he attended the club's 2019 All-Star Game announcement and he honored former skipper Mike Hargrove at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards. He teamed with Cavaliers icon Austin Carr and Browns legend Jim Brown to toss out ceremonial first pitches before the Tribe's home opener earlier this month. Over the last year, Thome has noticed a change in the wind patterns near Lake Erie. The town's baseball team appears to be more than formidable, with a deep, talented roster. He's having flashbacks. "It's very similar to what we experienced back in the '90s," Thome told cleveland.com. "Those '90s teams had ways about them that were so unique and special, [and] this club right now has it." Thome will begin sharing that sort of insight on MLB Network, where he will serve as a studio analyst starting Monday. He will continue to work as a special assistant to White Sox general manager Rick Hahn, a role he first took on in 2013. Jim Thome, Austin Carr and Jim Brown throw out ceremonial first pitch at Indians home opener "I haven't craved to play or had that itch or feeling," Thome said, "[but] you always want to compete. You'll never forget that feeling, what it was like to go and compete in big games. But for me, having the mixture of being with the White Sox and working for the network will give me that thing that we all need, that drive and that love of being around the game." Everything comes full circle for Thome at World Series "As en ex-player, you feel it with them," Thome said. "You want this to happen so badly." Twenty-some years ago, Thome shared real estate in a lineup that included, at various times, Manny Ramirez, Albert Belle, Kenny Lofton, Eddie Murray, Sandy Alomar Jr., Matt Williams and other imposing figures. The current crop of Tribe hitters might not carry the same notoriety -- the '95 lineup was as feared as it gets, and the '99 lineup produced more than 1,000 runs -- but Thome sees some comparisons. The Indians ranked second in the American

League in scoring last season, and they proceeded to add prolific slugger Edwin Encarnacion over the winter. Not to mention, Michael Brantley has returned to the fold and doesn't seem the least bit like damaged goods after a year of injury woes. "In the game of baseball, you have a long process," Thome said. "You have this marathon that you're going to go through. When that marathon is over, if you're lucky and fortunate to get into the postseason, you want to be peaking and playing well." Sandy Alomar, Jim Thome show appreciation for Mike Hargrove Thome was no stranger to the postseason, though he never captured a championship ring. He appeared in the playoffs in six seasons with the Indians, 10 seasons overall. The Indians' all-time leader in home runs said he anticipates a bevy of playful jabs from fellow network analyst Al Leiter, a former Marlins southpaw, at his new gig. The 2017 campaign marks 20 years since the Marlins' triumph against the Tribe in the World Series. "I'm looking forward to sitting around, watching and talking baseball," Thome said. "It'll be a learning process." In between his cameos in Cleveland, his work with the White Sox and his burgeoning TV career, Thome instructs his 9-year-old son, Landon, on the art of hitting, and follows along as his daughter, Lila, practices theater. She performed the national anthem after her father joined the pantheon of Indians icons last summer. Thome said he was overcome with nerves and pride during her rendition. "There's nothing better," Thome said. It's quite the lifestyle change from 10 or 20 years ago, but it still includes plenty of baseball. "Once you're a baseball guy, that's you," Thome said. "It's in us. This is what we've done." Those '90s Indians teams did quite a bit -- namely, they won six division titles and captured two AL pennants. Perhaps the current group can accomplish what they couldn't.

Jim Thome to join MLB Network as part-time analyst WKYC | April 26, 2017 You know him as the Cleveland Indians' all-time leader in home runs. But soon, you'll also know him as Jim Thome, MLB Network analyst. The network announced Thome's hiring Wednesday morning: The network says Thome will be a part-time studio analyst, joining former teammate Sean Casey on "MLB Tonight" among other show appearances. He's expected to make his debut Monday in the 6 p.m. hour. It won't be Thome's first time appearing on MLB Network beyond the highlight reels. He first appeared as a guest analyst last February, and also made an appearance during Game 7 of the 2016 World Series in Cleveland. Thome will also maintain his position in the Chicago White Sox front office as special assistant to the general manager, according to the Tribune.