The White Sox insisted again Friday that DH Carl Everett would not be sidelined long enough to go on the disabled list.
Everett said his right groin, strained during a rundown Thursday, was a “little better” than the day before.
“He just got hurt, and we’re going to wait another 24 hours to see how far he is away from being in the lineup,” manager Ozzie Guillen said. “I think it is real mild. He should be ready in a couple of days.”
Guillen used usual first baseman Paul Konerko as the DH on Friday, with utility player Geoff Blum at first. If Everett is forced to the DL, the likely call-up would be Joe Borchard, who has 20 homers and 50 RBIs at Triple-A Charlotte.
Interestingly, Borchard’s name keeps surfacing in trade rumors for San Diego third baseman Sean Burroughs, who would be used as insurance against Joe Crede’s aching back. Both are former first-round draft picks now in the minors. The trade was discussed before the July 31 deadline but fizzled out.
The deal now would be very complicated, almost impossible, because both players would have to clear major-league waivers. With the Sox and Padres both in pennant races, either player clearing waivers for a known trade would be unlikely.
Helping out
Conditioning coach Allen Thomas returned to work after time off to be with his family after their house in North Carolina was destroyed by a natural gas explosion. When he returned, Sox players presented him with an envelope of cash to help defray immediate expenses, although the house was covered by insurance.
“Out of everything that was there, we got about 2 1/2 bags of stuff,” Thomas said. “We took it to the cleaners and they threw out about half of that. Other than that there was nothing left, except we found a couple of pictures.
“The most important thing is we found a place to live, because the kids are getting ready to go to school. And the insurance company has done a tremendous job. I put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into that house.”
Guillen said he was “proud of my team” for its donation.
“I told them, `Whatever you guys put in, I will double,’ but I won’t do it now,” Guillen said. “He could build two houses with that. Hopefully that will help him and his family. No matter if you have insurance and if you have money, you lose a lot of personal stuff. In the meanwhile, you learn everything is not money, life is.”
Extra innings
Friday night was the 11th sellout of the season for the White Sox, a franchise record. A few thousand tickets remain for Sunday’s game. . . . Mark Buehrle still has not heard of any fine or suspension for his ejection Monday at Baltimore. Most likely the decision will come Monday. . . . Crede shaved off his long sideburns, which had been causing much clubhouse chatter. “I just needed a change,” he said.
