About two hours before Carlos Torres failed to survive the first inning Tuesday night, pitching coach Don Cooper unveiled a scenario in which Jake Peavy could make his White Sox debut at Torres’ expense.
Peavy is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Wednesday, with the likelihood that he will take Torres’ turn in the rotation Tuesday in Seattle.
There is a possibility Peavy could pitch as soon as this weekend against the Angels, although the Sox have left-handers John Danks and Mark Buehrle lined up to pitch Saturday and Sunday.
“We have to be flexible because his performance on the sideline and how he feels is going to give us the impetus to put him in the game,” Cooper said before the Sox allowed 20 hits in falling to Oakland 11-3 to remain 7 1/2 games behind the Tigers in the American League Central with 22 games left.
The loss pushed the Sox closer to evaluations for the 2010 season, and Peavy is at the top of the list. The Sox traded four pitchers for Peavy, who is guaranteed $52 million over the next three years but has yet to pitch for them because of right ankle and right elbow injuries.
Rather than have him throw in a simulated game, the Sox appear content to start Peavy in a major league game even though he will have pitch limitations placed on him. He hasn’t thrown in a professional game since Aug. 29, when he felt tightness one start after getting hit on the right elbow by a line drive in a minor league rehab start for Triple-A Charlotte.
“We will be able to [control him] by the pitch count during the game and how he’s doing,” Cooper said. “And we’ve never made a mistake with that. We don’t leave somebody in there too long. We’ll let them get just enough and no more.”
Cooper is looking for intensity more than endurance from Peavy in Wednesday’s bullpen session.
“My conversation to him was, ‘Give what you give. Give me what you got. I don’t need more. I don’t need you to extend yourself more than that if you don’t feel up to it,'” said Cooper, who added he would wait at least one day before setting Peavy’s schedule. “But I’ll be interested to see how it turns out.”
The Sox saw enough of Torres, who was pulled after allowing a three-run homer to Jack Cust and a solo shot to Mark Ellis to cap a five-run first.
“From the first couple of pitches he threw, I felt uncomfortable,” said manager Ozzie Guillen, who gave Torres the start after he threw seven scoreless innings against the Cubs on Thursday. “I don’t see any life in his fastball.
“It’s a shame in five days how people can change.”
The Sox fell to 1-4 at home against the AL West cellar-dwelling A’s after taking three of four from the strong AL East Red Sox.
“That’s the White Sox 2009,” Guillen said.
———-
mgonzales@tribune.com
Up next
Wednesday vs. A’s, 7:11 p.m., CSN
