Frank Thomas was limping around the White Sox clubhouse Wednesday after tweaking his left hamstring in an intrasquad game.
He never has had a hamstring injury and said he doesn’t expect this to turn into one.
“Nothing serious,” Thomas said. “I wasn’t going to play the first two [spring training] games anyway because they’re National League games.”
For those scoring at home, that’s two days, two bruises for the Big Hurt. A Jon Garland fastball hit him in his left arm during Tuesday’s intrasquad game, although the ball deflected off his protective padding. Thomas’ days of playing in intrasquad games may be over.
The Sox begin Cactus League play Friday against Arizona at Tucson Electric Park, with Garland facing Curt Schilling, the first of three straight games against the defending world champions. The Sox will play Arizona eight times this spring, seeing a lot of Miguel Batista and Byung-Hyun Kim.
Thomas will be only a DH at the start of the spring as he comes back from his triceps injury, and may not play first base at all. That means he’ll only play in games where the AL team is the home team. Thomas said he hopes to start in Sunday’s game against the Diamondbacks.
“It wasn’t a pull,” manager Jerry Manuel said.
Despite a bruising start, Manuel said Thomas “is a lot further along than he ever has been in spring training.” Thomas calls himself a “notoriously slow starter,” and the numbers bear him out. His worst month is April, with a .308 average. He hits .328 in May, .324 in June, .328 in July, .317 in August and .310 in September/October.
Willie make it? On his first day in camp Willie Harris was asked to describe his playing style.
“My game is hustle,” Harris replied.
Harris flashed a glimpse of his game in the sixth inning of Wednesday’s intrasquad game, walking, stealing second and stealing third. He was about three-fourths of the way to third by the time Kyle Kane’s pitch even crossed the plate.
“The kid looks impressive,” Manuel said. “Kind of reminds me of a fearless point guard. . . . He looks as though he could be a guy if we needed a pinch-runner late for Paul Konerko or Carlos Lee. You wouldn’t be afraid to put him in. Instead of bunting a guy over we can steal a base.”
Last spring the Sox chose speed over power, sending Jeff Liefer to Triple-A at the end of camp and taking center fielder Julio Ramirez instead. Ramirez struggled with an .081 average and 15 strikeouts in 37 at-bats before being sent down.
“There’s a possibility [Harris] could survive because he knows the strike zone,” Manuel said. “He’ll be getting a lot of playing time to see how he handles major-league pitching, but I’d have to say he has a legitimate shot. . . . He makes you play a game at his speed, kind of like Ichiro [Suzuki] and the Mariners. And [the opposition] is not comfortable with it.”
Liefer and Aaron Rowand practically are assured of making the club so Harris likely is competing with Brian Simmons for the 25th roster spot.
Sox files: Friday and Saturday’s games against the Diamondbacks will be broadcast at 2:05 p.m. on WMVP-AM 1000. The station will air 15 games this spring. WGN-Ch. 9 will televise the Sox-Oakland game March 16 and FoxSports Net will carry the March 28 game vs. the Cubs.
