Manager Ozzie Guillen stared briefly at his desk while trying to find the right lineup to snap the White Sox out of their collective slump.
While the changes Saturday and Sunday produced no improvement, it hasn’t stemmed from a lack of opportunity.
Guillen has started to alter the Sox’s original plan of employing Mark Kotsay against right-handed starters, and he has played Andruw Jones more often because of his early production.
Two weeks into the regular season, these recent decisions might lead to some head-shaking in the clubhouse. But the players affected most by the original plan of rotating designated hitters and giving starting outfielders an occasional rest are in agreement with Guillen’s plan.
“It’s a matter of us swinging the bats better,” said Kotsay, who didn’t start Saturday against Cleveland right-hander Jake Westbrook and is in a 2-for-23 slump.
“Obviously, they’re going to go with who is swinging the hot bat. I had some tough outs, but for the most part I suck right now. When I get the opportunity to get back in the lineup, you want to be able to get some hits and help this club win.”
Sunday marked the first time Carlos Quentin didn’t start, and it wasn’t because he is in a 2-for-25 slump and went 0-for-9 against Cleveland. Guillen believed that consecutive days off (thanks to Monday’s off day) would help clear Quentin’s mind entering this week’s series against the Rays.
“Carlos is the type of guy that needs a rest mentally more than physically,” Guillen said.
Guillen also was able to keep Quentin’s left foot healthy while not weakening the Sox’s lineup by employing him as the designated hitter in two games in Toronto — including Wednesday when Quentin drove in a career-high six runs with a grand slam and double.
“I got off my feet, so it worked in that sense,” Quentin said.
It also enabled Jones to get some at-bats, and Jones hit a home run while playing right in place of Quentin at Toronto.
As long as Jones continues to hit, he will stay in the lineup because he has the highest batting average (.296) among the Sox’s semi-regulars.
“We have guys who can get the job done any time of the day, so it’s a good thing for the team and the manager to put the guys out there,” Jones said.
“I think he’s trying to get guys at-bats right now. It’s still early. It’s a long season. When guys need days off and not feeling (well), they give them the day off.”
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