WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF SEPTEMBER 5, 2017 “Tucker, O'Neill lead Prospect Team of the Week” … Mike Rosenbaum, MLB.com “'Mental click' behind Giolito's turnaround” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Liriano has big game, but Sox fall to Tribe” … Scott Merkin and Fabian Ardaya, MLB.com “Shields by liner, day to day with knee bruise” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Fly like an Engel: White Sox CF robs homer” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Holmberg, Sox try to halt Tribe's win streak” … Fabian Ardaya, MLB.com “How Geovany Soto has provided the White Sox with value while on the disabled list” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “The lessons White Sox prospect Dane Dunning took from a stellar first season” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “Rymer Liriano's long road back to majors hits high point with first White Sox ” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “White Sox to host prospects , Eloy Jimenez this week” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “White Sox can't halt Indians' 12-game win streak” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “White Sox Q&A: Avisail Garcia’s future, Jose Abreu’s value and a beat change” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “James Shields says he’s OK after getting struck by batted ball” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times “Yolmer Sanchez knows his place on White Sox”… Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times “White Sox top prospects Jiménez, Kopech receive monthly honors”… Madeline Kenney, Chicago Sun-Times “Sox lose 5-3 to streaking Indians”… Mike Helfgot, Associated Press “Young White Sox players learning as they go in transitional season”… James Fegan, The Athletic “By the numbers: White Sox narrowly avoid major injury, conflict in loss to Cleveland”… James Fegan, The Athletic “Avisail Garcia showing “competitive gestures” in breakout season”… James Fegan, The Athletic “Q-and-A With White Sox’s : Fastball Command Is Biggest Focus”… Bruce Levine, CBS Chicago Tucker, O'Neill lead Prospect Team of the Week By Mike Rosenbaum / MLB.com | September 4, 2017

MLBPipeline.com's Prospect Team of the Week honors the best performances from the previous seven days. Any player currently on an organization Top 30 Prospects list on our Prospect Watch is eligible.

The latest edition of MLBPipeline.com's Prospect Team of the Week (Aug. 28-Sept. 3) features a pair of Top 100 prospects in No. 9 Kyle Tucker (Astros' No. 1) and No. 95 Tyler O'Neill (Cardinals' No. 4). Tucker is appearing on his third PTOW this season after another big week in Double-A, while O'Neill, thanks to his late-season power surge, garners PTOW honors for a second time.

The outfield duo aren't the only familiar faces on the latest PTOW, as right-hander Dane Dunning (White Sox No. 10) and Travis Blankenhorn (Twins' No. 11) are back for a second time this season. Dunning's appearance is his first since the opening week of the regular season, while Blankenhorn receives his first nod as a second baseman after previously earning PTOW honors at the hot corner.

Here's our complete Prospect Team of the Week:

C: Alex Jackson, Mississippi Braves (Double-A) (Braves' No. 17 prospect) 7 G, .348/.400/.783, 5 R, 1 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBIs, 2 BB, 1 IBB, 6 K

Jackson, 21, went deep in three of his first five games for Mississippi last week -- he homered in both ends of a doubleheader on Friday -- en route to leading Top 30 backstops in home runs and total bases (18). He's put together a much-needed breakout campaign in his first season with the Braves, posting a .267/.329/.482 slash line with 19 home runs in 95 games.

1B: Edwin Rios, Oklahoma City Dodgers (Triple-A) (Dodgers' No. 16 prospect) 7 G, .429/.556/.857, 6 R, 3 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBIs, 5 BB, 4 K, 1 HBP

Rios began his week with a pair of hitless performances before erupting to go 4-for-5 with a home run, a double and six RBIs on Thursday. The 23-year-old didn't slow down from there, as he went on to lead Top 30 first basemen in all three triple-slash categories as well as in RBIs. The big week gives Rios 24 home runs, 34 doubles and 90 RBIs in 127 games this season, during which he's posted a .309/.362/.534 slash line.

2B: Travis Blankenhorn, Cedar Rapids Kernels (Class A) (Twins' No. 11 prospect) 4 G, .500/.500/1.000, 4 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 9 RBIs, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 SB

Blankenhorn tallied at least one hit and one RBI in each of his four games for Cedar Rapids last week to finish with the most RBIs and tied for the highest average among Top 30 second basemen. The 21-year-old left-handed hitter did much of his damage on Thursday, going 2-for-5 with a home run and a career-best five RBIs. He's hitting .251/.343/.441 on the season, with 46 extra-base hits and 13 steals in 118 games.

3B: Hudson Potts, Fort Wayne TinCaps (Class A) (Padres' No. 23 prospect) 6 G, .292/.308/.708, 4 R, 1 2B, 3 HR, 14 RBIs, 1 BB, 7 K

Potts became the third player in Fort Wayne franchise history to hit 20 home runs in a season with his two-run shot in the third inning on Sunday. He finished the game 3-for-4 with five RBIs, capping a week that also included a two-homer, seven-RBI game on Thursday. The 18-year-old third baseman ultimately paced all Minor Leaguers in RBIs, and he's now batting .278/.325/.512 with 14 homers and 46 RBIs over 65 games in the second half.

SS: Cole Tucker, Altoona Curve (Double-A) (Pirates' No. 5 prospect) 6 G, .409/.581/.591, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBIs, 8 BB, 1 IBB, 2 K, 1 HBP, 4 SB

Tucker, 21, produced multiple hits in four of his six games for the Curve last week as he improved his Double-A average from .241 to .264. He also tied for the most walks among all Top 30 prospects and finished second in stolen bases. In what has been a breakout campaign, Tucker, a 6-foot-3 switch-hitter, has produced a .277/.359/.411 line with 36 extra- base hits and 46 stolen bases across two levels.

OF: Tyler O'Neill, Memphis Redbirds (Triple-A) (Cardinals' No. 4 prospect)/(MLB No. 95) 6 G, .385/.407/.962, 6 R, 5 HR, 13 RBIs, 1 BB, 5 K

O'Neill's power was on full display last week as he homered in five of his six games for Triple-A Memphis. The 22-year-old slugger homered in three straight games to end his week and led all Top 30 outfielders in home runs and total bases (25), earning PTOW honors for the second time this season. He's now hit 12 of his 31 homers in 36 games since being dealt by Seattle to St. Louis in exchange for Marco Gonzales at the non-waiver Trade Deadline.

OF: Justin Williams, Montgomery Biscuits (Double-A) (Rays' No. 10 prospect) 6 G, .360/.407/.880, 5 R, 1 2B, 4 HR, 10 RBIs, 2 BB, 3 K

Williams, 22, had a game to remember on Wednesday as he connected on three home runs for Montgomery in the first multihomer performance of his career. He also drove in six in the contest, tying his career high. Meanwhile, Williams' four- homer week pushed his season total to 14, surpassing the previous high of 10 homers he produced over 90 games last year.

OF: Kyle Tucker, Corpus Christi Hooks (Double-A) (Astros' No. 1 prospect)/(MLB No. 9) 9 G, .314/.415/.629, 5 R, 5 2B, 2 HR, 12 RBIs, 5 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP

Tucker recorded hits in seven of his nine games for Corpus Christi and drove in at least one run in five different contests, including a five-RBI performance on Monday in game two of a doubleheader. His 12 RBIs last week ranked third among Top 30 prospects, and he also grabbed a share of first place with his five doubles. Overall, the 20-year-old outfielder has produced an .867 OPS with 24 home runs, 33 doubles, 21 stolen bases and 89 RBIs in 119 games this season between two levels.

LHP: , San Antonio Missions (Double-A) (Padres' No. 8 prospect) 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 GS, 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K, 0.14 WHIP

Lauer carried a perfect game into the sixth inning on Thursday before allowing a hit in seven frames. The 22-year-old left- hander struck out nine, one shy of his career-best mark, and generated another nine outs on the ground in the outing. A 2016 first-rounder (No. 25 overall), Lauer has enjoyed success across two levels in his first full season, pitching to a 3.30 ERA with 132 and 36 walks in 122 2/3 innings between San Antonio and Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore.

RHP: Dane Dunning, Winston-Salem Dash (Class A Advanced) (White Sox No. 10 prospect) 1-1, 1.38 ERA, 2 GS, 1 CG/1 SHO, 13 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 19 K, 1 HBP, 0.38 WHIP

Dunning went 1-1 in his two starts for Winston-Salem last week, but the 22-year-old right-hander was dominant in both of his starts. After allowing two runs on two hits with 10 strikeouts in six innings on Tuesday, Dunning put a bow on both his week and his season by firing seven innings of one-hit ball with nine strikeouts en route to his second shutout of the season. He finished his first full season with a 2.94 ERA with 168 strikeouts in 144 innings across two levels.

RP: Ryan Lillie, Batavia Muckdogs (Class A Short Season)/Greensboro Grasshoppers (Class A) (Marlins' No. 16 prospect) 0-0, 0 SV, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, 0.33 WHIP

Lillie, Miami's fifth-round Draft pick in June, recorded eight of his 15 outs via the last week while making two dominant relief appearances across two different levels. The 21-year-old righty yielded one hit and struck out four in three innings for Batavia on Monday to earn a promotion to Greensboro, where he then posted the same line over two scoreless frames on Friday in his South Atlantic League debut.

'Mental click' behind Giolito's turnaround Young White Sox righty confident in his stuff, focuses on competing By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | September 4, 2017

CHICAGO -- Fortunes changed for White Sox righty Lucas Giolito about midway through his 2017 season with Triple-A Charlotte, according to the No. 58 overall prospect per MLBPipeline.com.

But it wasn't so much a physical adjustment making the difference for the 6-foot-6 right-handed hurler.

"It was more like a mental click this year," said Giolito, one day after allowing one run over seven innings against the Rays to go with 10 strikeouts in his second straight victory. "Just like the past year-plus, year and a half, two years, I've been kind of like struggling with confidence and just thinking too much about my delivery. Trying to be too consistent to the point that I'm forcing things.

"I've been able to kind of just release some of the other stresses as far as thinking about my delivery, thinking about consistency or pitching deep into games or whatever it was. It was messing me up. Just kind of let go of all that. I focused on going out and competing and having fun and giving my best effort.

"When I focus on that, it's like all the other stuff kind of takes care of itself," Giolito said. "I trust all the work I put in in between start days to kind of show when I get out there and pitch."

Giolito recognized with catcher Kevan Smith that his fastball-change mix was working early Sunday against the Rays. The righty threw the fastball 51 times and the changeup 28, getting 14 of his 17 swings-and-misses between those two.

It's the confidence Giolito now has in his stuff and mound presence making this sort of performance possible.

"Once that train starts moving and it's running the right direction, it's kind of hard to stop," White Sox said. "It is the mental and the emotional approaches that they have that separate guys. They are able to block out a lot of noise."

"This is the most comfortable I've been, for sure," Giolito said. "Just enjoying myself, being in the big leagues, awesome teammates, great coaches to be around, just soaking it all in and enjoying my time up here and going out and competing every fifth day. That's what it's all about."

Making progress

Yoan Moncada (bone contusion of his right shin) and Nicky Delmonico (sprained right wrist) continue to go through daily baseball activities and make progress in a push to return from the disabled list.

"They have been running, throwing and hitting," Renteria said. "They're pretty close.

"We'll see how they do after the work they're going through and make a determination if it's going to be here in the next couple of days that we bring them back. We're certainly taking a cautious approach with both of them."

Special guests

Renteria is looking forward to outfielder Eloy Jimenez (No. 6 overall prospect per MLBPipeline.com) and right-hander Michael Kopech (No. 11 overall) visiting Guaranteed Rate Field on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

"It's pretty nice to have them come out and just see the place hopefully they'll be in the near future," Renteria said. "See a lot of the guys who might be their teammates. Just give them a sense of what we're going to be about, what it's about in here in the clubhouse."

Liriano has big game, but Sox fall to Tribe By Scott Merkin and Fabian Ardaya / MLB.com | September 4, 2017

CHICAGO -- The Indians won for the 12th consecutive time, marking the longest win streak of any team in the Major Leagues in 2017, by claiming a 5-3 victory over the White Sox on Monday at Guaranteed Rate Field. The outcome officially eliminated the White Sox from Central contention and dropped the Indians' magic number to clinch the division to 17.

Cody Allen finished the victory by striking out pinch-hitter Rob Brantly for his 24th save, stranding two runners in the ninth.

Trevor Bauer improved to 15-8 by allowing two runs on three hits over 6 1/3 innings, while striking out nine. The right- hander hasn't lost a decision since July 16 and has gone at least six innings in seven of his past eight starts.

"I thought he was really good," Indians manager said. "He hung a breaking ball for the two-run homer that, because of the score, all of a sudden, it's 3-2, but other than that I thought he was pretty good. I actually thought he could have kept going."

"You have to tip your cap to the kid," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "He has good stuff and was able to mix up pitches enough and throw strikes to do what he needed to do. We battled. We kept it close, as much as we could, and just fell a little short."

Indians starters during the 12-game winning streak have an 11-0 record with a 1.51 ERA. Bauer had 16 swings and misses, per Statcast™, including five on his knuckle curve and four each on his four-seam and cut fastballs.

Carlos Santana and Jose Ramirez hit solo homers for the Indians. Ramirez's blast leading off the eighth off Chris Beck marked his sixth extra-base hit in the past two games and his AL-leading 76th extra-base hit.

James Shields was hit with more than his sixth loss. With nobody out and Abraham Almonte on first in the seventh, Francisco Mejia lined a shot off of Shields' right knee. The ball bounced back toward catcher Omar Narvaez, who threw out Mejia at first, and Shields eventually limped off the field with a bruised right knee. X-rays were negative and he is day to day. Shields allowed four runs on six hits over 6 1/3 innings, striking out five and walking two.

James Shields gets hit on his knee by a hard comebacker and leaves the game, but walks off the field under his own power

"We expect he's going to be OK," said Renteria of Shields. "We'll check him [Tuesday] and see how he's progressing from the initial blow, but he walked off the field on his own, so we're hopeful he'll be OK. And he threw the ball well today."

The Indians have outscored their opponents, 84-21, during their winning streak.

"It's pretty similar [to winning 14 in a row last year]," Ramirez said through an interpreter. "I see the team feeling the same way. We're happy, we're relaxed, we're united and that's something that's really important."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Liriano goes deep: Rymer Liriano, who had his contract purchased from Triple-A Charlotte on Saturday, made his first hit with the White Sox a big one when he drove a hanging Bauer knuckle curve 393 feet (per Statcast™) to left-center for a two-run homer. The ball had an exit velocity of 103.6 mph according to Statcast™, and cut the Indians' lead to 3-2 in the fifth. It was Liriano's second career homer and first since 2014 with the Padres, when Renteria was his bench . Liriano added a run-scoring double in the seventh off reliever Joe Smith.

"It's been hard for me to get back to the Majors," Liriano said. "I've worked a lot on my swing in the Minor Leagues. It's a really good opportunity the White Sox have given me."

First time for everything: Mejia, the Tribe's No. 1 prospect and the No. 15 prospect in baseball per MLBPipeline.com, took care of two career firsts with one swing of the bat in the fourth. Mejia's two-out single off of Shields scored Santana, giving the talented rookie his first hit and his first RBI and providing the Indians a 3-0 lead.

"I didn't think too much about the hit," Mejia said through an interpreter. "I hit the ball and I ran to first base hard and [first- base coach] Sandy [Alomar] said, "Go two, go two.' It was good to get the first base hit. They were saying 'Attaboy, congratulations' [in the dugout]."

QUOTABLE

"You just get excited for your , your team. You turn a run into an out, which is a momentum play." -- White Sox center fielder , on taking away a home run from Austin Jackson in the fifth by leaping above the center-field fence

HE DID IT AGAIN

White Sox fans can now legitimately debate which spectacular Engel catch in center has been the best this season. He added another one to the list by taking a home run away from Jackson with one out in the fifth via a leaping catch over the center-field wall. Engel took a home run away from Houston's Brian McCann on Aug. 8 with a leaping catch over the right- center-field fence.

"Getting back there and timing the jump is the toughest thing," Jackson said. "[Engel's] been able to do it a few times this year, and he just added to more of the great plays he's made this year."

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor appeared to get an early rally going by singling to right field off Shields. Lindor took a hard turn and broke for second base looking to stretch a double, and he was thrown out Avisail Garcia to after Lindor's hand came off the base. The Indians challenged that Lindor didn't come off the bag with the tag applied. The call on the field stood, and the Indians lost their challenge.

Roberto Perez was ruled safe at second on what looked to be a double to right with one out in the ninth. Renteria challenged the call and after video review, the call stood with shortstop Anderson just missing a swipe tag.

WHAT'S NEXT

Indians: Danny Salazar (5-6, 4.30 ERA) will make his return to the rotation after missing two turns while on the 10-day disabled list with right elbow inflammation. He'll take the mound for the 8:10 p.m. ET game at Guaranteed Rate Field, after allowing two runs over six innings his last time there July 28.

White Sox: David Holmberg (2-3, 3.55) makes his seventh start of 2017, fourth at home and second vs. Cleveland in Tuesday's 7:10 p.m. CT contest. Holmberg is 1-2 with a 3.86 ERA, .245 opponents' average and a 1.44 WHIP over his six starts this season.

Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.TV.

Shields hit by liner, day to day with knee bruise Struck by 104.5-mph comebacker, White Sox righty hopes to make next start By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | September 4, 2017

CHICAGO -- White Sox starter James Shields feared the worst when Francisco Mejia's line drive struck his right knee with one out in the seventh inning of Monday's 5-3 loss to the Indians at Guaranteed Rate Field.

There were plenty of reasons for the veteran hurler to be concerned, considering the exit velocity of Mejia's shot was 104.5 mph per Statcast™.

"Yeah, I thought it was broken," said Shields, who exited with a bruised right knee and was listed as day to day after X- rays were negative. "It hit the side of my kneecap and the initial thought was it was broken. It's going to be sore for the next couple of days I would imagine, but I'll be fine.

"Sometimes those things happen. I've gotten hit in way worse spots in my career. So, it's part of the game, part of being a pitcher. Thankfully everything came out clean."

After striking Shields, Mejia's hit ricocheted to catcher Omar Narvaez, who threw out Mejia at first. Shields remained on his side near the mound, clutching his right knee, before getting up to a sitting position and then to his feet and limping off the field to a standing ovation from the crowd.

Shields high-fived Narvaez before leaving and forced a smile.

"The ball shot back at him pretty hard, but I asked [Narvaez], I said, 'Did you make the play? He's like, 'Yeah, I got him out.' I was like 'All right. Cool.' That's all that matters," Shields said. "Once I started moving my leg a little bit and figured out it wasn't as bad as I thought it was, the initial pain obviously was pretty excruciating, but you know, I mean, I guess that's all you can do is laugh it off."

"It might have looked a lot worse than it was," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "When a ball is coming at you at over 100 mph, there's nothing minor about it. It's a very explosive and painful blow to the body, especially where it was at. Preliminary, it's just a contusion to the side of the knee, and we'll see how he's doing [Tuesday]."

Jake Petricka replaced Shields with one out in the seventh. Shields allowed four runs on six hits over 6 1/3 innings, striking out five and walking two, and hopes to make his next start Saturday against the Giants.

"I'm sure I'll be a little sore the next couple of days. I think it shouldn't be that big of a deal," Shields said. "Everything came out all right. Maybe a few inches and I might have been in some trouble. I feel pretty good."

Fly like an Engel: White Sox CF robs homer Indians' Jackson gets taste of his own medicine By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | September 4, 2017

CHICAGO -- Austin Jackson knows a thing or two about taking away home runs.

The Cleveland center fielder made one of the best plays of the season, robbing Jackie Bradley Jr. and falling into the Red Sox's bullpen Aug. 1 in Boston. So Jackson could appreciate the amazing effort made by White Sox center fielder Adam Engel to deprive Jackson of a fifth-inning home run during Monday's 5-3 White Sox loss at Guaranteed Rate Field.

"Wasn't really sure when I hit it. I knew it was kind of high, but I looked up and I saw him laying on his back with it," Jackson said. "I've seen him make some pretty good plays out there."

Cleveland held a 3-0 lead when Jackson blasted one to straightaway center. Engel raced back to the fence and went just over it on the run to make the outstretched grab, crashing into a part of the wall. Engel said luckily the wall has a little give to it.

Engel covered 107 feet in 6.1 seconds, according to Statcast™, with a sprint speed of 26.7 feet per second. The league average is 27.0. He regularly plays a shallower center field, with an average depth of 306 feet and an average depth of 305 feet at home, making him the second shallowest on average in both categories.

On Jackson's at-bat, his starting depth was 292 feet from the plate. Center fielders average a starting depth of 312 feet against Jackson.

"I try not to play too deep, so I have an opportunity to take cheap singles away from guys," Engel said. "In that situation I was about even. He's just swinging it really well right now. I know if he gets a pitch to hit he can drive it. He's a good player, good hitter. I don't want to say I was real shallow on that play."

"It's really just getting back there. That's at any ballpark," Jackson said. "Getting back there and timing the jump is the toughest thing. He's been able to do it a few times this year, and he just added to more of the great plays he's made this year."

This catch rivals a home run-stealing grab made by Engel against Houston's Brian McCann on Aug. 8 when he went over the right-center-field wall. As White Sox starter James Shields said of the man supporting him, Engel has drawn notice with his defense.

"He plays the game the right way," Shields said. "He plays hard every single night. I definitely love having him out there and watching him play."

"That was a play that I had to run pretty good just to go get it and it was at the wall," said Engel of where this catch ranks. "It was definitely up there."

Holmberg, Sox try to halt Tribe's win streak By Fabian Ardaya / MLB.com | September 5, 2017

Arguably the best rotation in the American League will get reinforcements as Indians right-hander Danny Salazar returns from the disabled list to start Tuesday against the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. Cleveland enters the second game of the series having won 12 straight games, the longest such streak in the Majors this season.

"We'll just show up [Tuesday] and try to win again," Tribe manager Terry Francona said of the winning streak. "What happened 10, 12 days ago doesn't matter. We'll just, we'll show up [Tuesday] and try to beat the White Sox. That's the best way to go about it."

Added Jose Ramirez: "It's pretty similar [to winning 14 in a row last year]. I see the team feeling the same way. We're happy, we're relaxed, we're united and that's something that's really important."

Salazar (5-6, 4.30 ERA), who has missed each of his last two turns through the rotation due to right elbow inflammation, will return to a rotation that ranks best in the AL in ERA (3.77 entering Monday) and best in baseball since the All-Star break (2.92 entering Monday). The right-hander had four quality starts in five outings before being touched for six runs in 4 2/3 innings in his last appearance before his DL stint.

One of those strong starts came at Guaranteed Rate Field, where on July 28 he held the White Sox to two runs on three hits over six-plus innings. While Francona said he doesn't expect Salazar to match the 97 pitches he threw that night, the return of Salazar should aid the Indians' rotation, which has thrived amidst injuries.

Salazar will likely oppose White Sox left-hander David Holmberg (2-3, 3.55 ERA), barring an emergency in which White Sox manager Rick Renteria would use him out of the bullpen Monday. Holmberg was one of the club's Sept. 1 callups and has bounced between the rotation and the bullpen. He's 1-2 with a 3.86 ERA in six Major League starts this season and threw seven scoreless innings in his last outing with Triple-A Charlotte on Aug. 29.

Three things to know about this game

• The Indians will likely have designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion back in the lineup Tuesday after manager Francona sat him Monday against the White Sox.

• The Indians may also have outfielders Jay Bruce and Bradley Zimmer back. Bruce is dealing with a stiff neck, which Francona said he wants to make sure is completely taken care of before he returns. Zimmer is in the concussion protocol after attempting a diving catch Saturday, but went through a full day of activity Monday and could be cleared.

"He'll have a full day today, and then he'll have to be cleared by the doctor [Tuesday]," Francona said. "He could play [Tuesday], but there's a couple things that have to happen."

• The White Sox pitching staff has been improved lately, posting 20 quality starts in a 35-game stretch from July 29 through Sunday's win over the Rays. Chicago is 34-17 when it receives a quality start.

How Geovany Soto has provided the White Sox with value while on the disabled list By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | September 4, 2017

He might be missing in action to fans, but Geovany Soto has had a significant impact on the White Sox rookie catchers.

Potentially out for the season since May with an elbow injury, Soto has bucked a normal trend for most injured players with his constant presence at White Sox home games. He’s still uncertain, but Soto holds out hope he could play again during the 2017 season. Even if he doesn’t return, Soto has offered the young White Sox catchers plenty of value in an area they lack — experience.

“Everything,” catcher Omar Narvaez said. “The game plan. Throwing to second base. How to anticipate who’s going to run and the count they run in. How to support the pitcher, what moment to go to the mound. All that stuff. What moment we can throw the fastball in, things like that.

“Sometimes there are things I might not know, or he reinforces what I know.

“I can learn from it.”

Headed into this season, Narvaez and Kevan Smith had combined to play 41 major league games. While their collective inexperience wasn’t as much of an issue out of spring camp, it became one when Soto first hit the disabled list with a sore elbow in mid-April. Suddenly, the White Sox were relying upon two catchers with little knowledge of hitters around the league.

Soto returned 11 days later, but his stay was short-lived. He appeared in eight games before his elbow acted up again. Soto decided to have surgery that would keep him out a minimum of three months.

But he’s stuck around, which has been huge for Narvaez and Smith.

Soto said he made that choice because he remembers how valuable it was for him to be able to rely upon veteran catcher Henry Blanco early in his own career.

“I care about my guys, my catchers, my friends,” Soto said. “Henry Blanco took me under his wing, and I loved how that felt. He made me feel like I belonged from early in terms of all the struggles I went through with the defensive part of the game, calling the game, relationship with your , how to deal with the whole staff. I thought that really helped me as a major leaguer, and that’s all I’m trying to do.”

Whereas most injured players are around occasionally, Soto arrives at Guaranteed Rate Field early and stays late. He doesn’t travel with the team — injured players mostly only do unless they’re on the verge of returning. But Soto has made himself readily available while he rehabs at home.

“He’s there every home game,” Smith said. “He’s always there early. He’s always asking if we want to do extra things, kind of getting some insight. He’s been awesome. He’s almost been like a second catching coach.

“Just a guy you can turn to for advice more so on in-game situations like, ‘What’s the right thing to do here?’ ‘How about that pitch sequence — what were you thinking there?’ He’ll see us kind of peek over into the dugout a few times just to see what he’s thinking.”

Soto — who signed a minor league deal with the White Sox in January for $2 million — said his elbow is 100 percent after arthroscopic surgery but he’s still rehabbing. Even if he doesn’t come back in 2017, Soto intends to play next season, “100 percent.”

“I still have a lot of baseball in this body,” Soto said. “I feel like I’m 21.”

In the meantime, he will continue to impart the wisdom he’s gained over 13 seasons on anyone who asks. He enjoys the role, and though it hasn’t been fully considered, Soto said coaching is in the “realm” of future possibilities.

“We have great guys here,” Soto said. “The most important is they come up here and they want to learn and get with the program.

“We are here to help them, guide them and let them know what they are probably going to see out there that we’ve seen before.”

Narvaez said Soto’s presence has been invaluable. Smith said he and Narvaez love having a veteran player around to increase their knowledge — the kinds of things Soto once asked of Blanco when they played together with the Cubs.

“I ask him a lot of questions on preparation and his first year, what he learned from it and how he got through it,” Smith said. “He’s been a solid guy, especially for being hurt. It’s very easy for a guy that’s hurt to go into a little hole and kind of stick your head out once in a while away.

“These guys are filled with baseball knowledge. You can ask them about situations, what they thought, if we did it the right way, if we pitched it the right way. It’s funny because you’ll be sitting with them and you’re just enlightened.”

The lessons White Sox prospect Dane Dunning took from a stellar first season By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | September 4, 2017

Though he leveled off a little after a Nintendo-like April, Dane Dunning was outstanding to end his first full season.

It took the No. 10 prospect in the organization time to adjust to High-A hitters at Winston-Salem. But once he did, Dunning -- who allowed one hit and struck out nine in seven scoreless innings on Sunday -- produced the same low-walk rate that earned him a quick promotion from Low-A Kannapolis. The starting pitcher’s adjustment helped him cap a strong first season with the White Sox on a positive note as he posted a 2.93 ERA over his final eight starts.

“The farther you go up the more hitters are able to see pitches,” Dunning recently said. “(In the AZL league), a lot of people will swing early on and swing at stuff that isn’t that close so you’re able to get away with more. Coming up here, there’s a couple more hitters in each lineup that can see the ball better. I think that’s the way it is all the way up to the big leagues, you add a couple more where you’ve got to bear down on each person.”

Dunning, who’s a good bet to begin next season at Double-A Birmingham, fashions himself as a strike-thrower.

He doesn’t have the same explosive arsenal as some of the other top pitching prospects in the White Sox system. But Dunning -- who only made 20 starts in college and was mostly a swingman at Florida -- has good enough stuff to get outs (each of his three main pitches is graded 55 on MLB.com’s 20-80 scouting scale) and knows the odds are in his favor and therefore likes to attack the zone. In April, Dunning filled up the zone with strikes on 69 percent of his pitches, which earned him a promotion from Single-A Kannapolis to Winston-Salem.

But the transition to Winston-Salem after two walks in 26 innings at Kannapolis wasn’t quite as smooth. Hitters didn’t bite always bite and Dunning served a seven-game suspension for throwing behind a hitter’s head in a May 19 start. From May 7-July 8, Dunning issued 24 walks in 57 2/3 innings. He still posted a 3.30 ERA over that span, but wasn’t as effective as he had been.

“Although it still is A-ball, there are better hitters,” player development director Chris Getz said. “There are guys who have been around a little longer and so all of a sudden they may not be swinging at something and it can kind of effect you as a pitcher or a position player.”

Around mid-July Dunning said he started to adjust. One of his biggest keys has been learning to slow down the game and avoid the big inning. While he still has had an occasional blemish, Dunning found better footing and started to excel. That didn’t surprise Winston-Salem manager Willie Harris, who predicts that both Dunning and teammate Alec Hansen will one day become major leaguers.

“They’re going to come right after you as pitchers,” Harris said. “They’re not afraid of contact. They believe in their ability, they believe in their stuff. They both have big league stuff. It’s just a point of being more consistent for those guys, figuring some things out, tinkering here and there until they fully get their mechanics down to a tee … it’s just a matter of time for those guys.”

Over his final eight starts, Dunning walked only 10 batters in 46 innings while allowing 41 hits, striking out 56. He also threw strikes 68 percent of the time. That stretch ended with a flourish as Dunning struck out 19 and allowed two earned runs, three hits and walked two over 13 innings in his final two starts of the season. It’s exactly the way Dunning hoped to end his first full season.

“I feel extremely good,” Dunning said. “The last couple of outings my velo has been up and I feel like I’ve been throwing the ball well.

“I learned a lot (this season) just when it comes to maintaining and the level difference and all that. In my opinion, it’s the same game. I’ve just got to go out there and do what I do, locate at the bottom half of the zone.

“Every level people get better, but my team is getting better as well.”

Rymer Liriano's long road back to majors hits high point with first White Sox home run By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | September 4, 2017

He didn’t get the ball, but Rymer Liriano is just as proud of the home run he hit on Monday as the first of his career.

Given all he has been through, the White Sox outfielder could never have known if he’d get another chance to succeed in the big leagues. But the former highly-touted prospect blasted his first home run since 2014 as part of a banner day, though the White Sox lost 5-3 to the at Guaranteed Rate Field. Liriano, who missed the entire 2016 season after he was hit in the face by a pitch that spring, went 2-for-3 with a walk and drove in all three runs in the losing effort.

“It's been hard for me to get back to the majors,” Liriano said. “I've worked a lot on my swing in the minor leagues. It's a really good opportunity the White Sox have given me.

“I feel really good.”

The White Sox claimed Liriano — once the No. 49 prospect in baseball — off waivers from the last October. Liriano was in the mix for a roster spot with the Brewers when he suffered multiple fractures after he was hit on March 20, 2016. The former farmhand missed the entire season and returned to action to play in the Dominican Winter League.

Out of options, Liriano was taken off the White Sox 40-man this spring and he spent the entire season at Triple-A Charlotte. The outfielder was promoted this weekend after Leury Garcia went on the disabled list and went hitless in eight trips before he blasted a two-run home run off in the fifth inning.

“It was good for him,” said manager Rick Renteria, who was the Padres’ bench coach when Liriano shot up the prospect ranks. “We’re happy for him. He got a breaking ball he was able to stay on. He has battled through a lot in his career. He had an injury a few years ago that could have put him out of the game. But he has battled through it, and it was nice to have him contribute like he did today.”

A rookie in 2014, Liriano — who played 38 games for the Padres — wasn’t done yet as he doubled in a run in the seventh inning. He also drew a walk in his final plate appearance. Liriano could find a fair amount of plate appearances available this month with both Leury Garcia and Willy Garcia on the disabled list,

“It's amazing,” Liriano said. “My debut felt like the first time. It's been like two years, so hard not to play. Especially last year with my face, they hit my face with a ball. I've tried to work hard and I get to play here."

White Sox to host prospects Michael Kopech, Eloy Jimenez this week By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | September 4, 2017

The White Sox will welcome two of their top prospects this week to Guaranteed Rate Field — as guests.

With many minor-league seasons wrapping up Monday, Double-A Birmingham outfielder Eloy Jimenez and Triple-A Charlotte right-hander Michael Kopech are scheduled to visit Chicago on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

The club's Nos. 2 and 3 prospects behind , Jimenez and Kopech could see time in a Sox uniform at some point next season, and manager Rick Renteria is glad to give them an early look at their future team.

"It gives them a sense of what we're going to be about in the clubhouse," Renteria said. "The biggest thing we seek for all players is comfort. Confidence is a big part of doing what they do, but also getting to know the surroundings and the people they're going to be with is important."

Trash talk: Indians right-hander Trevor Bauer and Sox right fielder Avisail Garcia had a trash-talk exchange during Garcia's fourth-inning at-bat Monday.

"He likes to run his mouth, talking like, 'They don't throw me fastballs. All they do is throw me breaking balls,'" Bauer told reporters. "He's said it before. I'm not sure he knows that the rules of this game say you can throw whatever pitch you want.

"He started yapping at me. I threw him a first-pitch slider. He fouled it off, stared right at me, said something, and he's nodding like, 'I'm right on you.' So I told him, 'If you're that confident, step back in the box.'"

Bauer motioned for Garcia to get back in the box, and after striking him out, motioned to the dugout for Garcia to take a seat.

"To his credit, he took it like a champ," Bauer said. "He put his head down, he shut his mouth and walked back to the dugout. Good for him."

Renteria chalked it up to harmless competitive fire. Garcia drew a walk off Bauer in the sixth and punctuated the fourth ball with a bat flip.

Building confidence: Right-hander Lucas Giolito has posted a 2.25 ERA in his first three starts for the Sox. That included a victory Sunday against the Rays in which he allowed one earned run on three hits with one walk and 10 strikeouts in seven innings.

Renteria said Giolito has cleaned up his delivery a lot, and he also thinks Giolito is gaining steam in his mental game.

"The hope is that confidence and that demeanor that he's carrying now and the trust he has in what he's doing on the mound will continue to translate to consistent performances," Renteria said. "Everybody is very gifted on the major-league field. It is the mental and the emotional approaches that separate guys (with) consistent performances. They are able to block out a lot of noise."

Recovery trail: Renteria said Moncada and Nicky Delmonico are "pretty close" to returning from the disabled list. Moncada has been out with shin splints in his right leg, and Delmonico had a sprained right wrist. Both have been running, throwing and hitting.

White Sox can't halt Indians' 12-game win streak By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | September 4, 2017

Monday was Rymer Liriano's day at Guaranteed Rate Field. The White Sox left fielder collected two hits and three RBIs, his first in the big leagues since 2014.

Unfortunately for the Sox, it also was the Indians' day — as it has been every day since Aug. 24.

The Indians overcame Liriano's strong outing to top the Sox 5-3 in the opener of a four-game series for their 12th straight victory. They led from the second inning on after Carlos Santana homered and Roberto Perez added an RBI double off right-hander James Shields.

Liriano twice chipped away at that lead in his third game with the Sox after they called him up Saturday. He said his Sox debut that day felt like his major-league debut all over again after going nearly three years between big-league appearances.

"It's been hard for me to get back to the majors," Liriano said. "I've worked a lot on my swing in the minor leagues. It's a really good opportunity the White Sox have given me."

Liriano's first hit in a Sox uniform was a two-run homer to left-center off right-hander Trevor Bauer to cut the deficit to 3-2 in the fifth.

He added an RBI double to right off Joe Smith in the seventh, driving in Tim Anderson for the second time. And he took a two-out walk against closer Cody Allen in the ninth.

It was Liriano's second career homer and third double. A former top-50 prospect, Liriano last played in the majors with the Padres in 2014, when he was 24-for-109 in 38 games.

The Padres traded Liriano to the Brewers after the 2015 season, and he was hit in the face with a pitch during and missed the 2016 season with facial fractures, concussion symptoms and vision problems. The Sox claimed him off waivers last fall to see if he could regain his form, and he hit .256 with 17 homers at Triple-A Charlotte.

"He has battled through a lot in his career," said Sox manager Rick Renteria, who knew Liriano when both were in the Padres organization. "He had an injury (last year) that could have put him out of the game. But he has battled through it, and it was nice to have him contribute like he did today."

The Indians, who lead the by 10 games at 81-56, outscored the Tigers 29-5 in their four-game series over the weekend. Shields at least kept it close, holding the Indians to three runs heading into the seventh, when he issued a leadoff walk.

Francisco Mejia then hit a line drive off Shields' right knee. Shields was down for several minutes while Sox staff looked at him, and he said afterward he thought from the "excruciating" pain his kneecap was broken.

But he limped off the field to an ovation and was diagnosed with a bruise on the side of his knee. X-rays were negative, and he hopes it won't keep him out.

"It's a little sore, but everything came out all right," Shields said. "I think maybe a few inches and I might have been in some trouble."

Reliever Jake Petricka allowed the inherited runner to score on Francisco Lindor's single, and Jose Ramirez homered off reliever Chris Beck.

Liriano wasn't the only Sox highlight. Adam Engel robbed Austin Jackson of a fifth-inning home run with a leaping catch above the center-field wall.

"That was a spectacular catch," Renteria said. "If that doesn't show up on highlights tonight on somebody's reel, something is wrong."

White Sox Q&A: Avisail Garcia’s future, Jose Abreu’s value and a beat change By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | September 5, 2017

As we move into the home stretch of the 2017 White Sox season, this week’s mailbag addresses Avisail Garcia’s future, Jose Abreu’s value on the South Side and an upcoming change in Tribune coverage.

Is Avi (Garcia) going to be on the block in the offseason as a sell-high candidate for the rebuild? — @ChiSoxJRod

Avisail Garcia will be a free agent after the 2019 season, so he’s one of a couple of players, along with Jose Abreu, whose control is on the edge of the rebuild’s contending timeline. The Sox could work to sign either to an extension or weigh their trade value. Sox general manager Rick Hahn was asked this same question last month, and he wouldn’t commit to one path for Garcia.

My guess is they’ll weigh offers this offseason for Garcia, who has said he’d like to stay with the Sox. If they get a worthy return, it’s a possibility he goes, especially considering the Sox have young outfielders in the system they hope will progress to be a part of the contending club, including Eloy Jimenez, and . If they don’t get the right offer, they can keep him around.

When is Jose Abreu going to be recognized by baseball “know it alls” as the rock upon which the Sox are building their future? He is the biggest hidden treasure in all of MLB. — Terry V., Arlington Heights.

I don’t think Jose Abreu is necessarily a “hidden treasure” in Chicago because the organization and majority of fans and media know his great value to the team. Nationally, the fact the Sox have had a losing record for all four of his major- league seasons is maybe one reason he doesn’t receive as much attention.

Abreu has had four straight 25-plus-homer seasons and 390 career RBIs through Sunday. He played in at least 145 games a season each year and will probably meet that again this year. His lowest batting average has been .290 and lowest OPS .820. And on top of that, he holds a lofty status among the Sox players as a respected leader.

All of these factors make me interested to see how the Sox approach his status with the club considering he will turn 33 not long after he hits free agency after the 2019 season.

Will Charlie Tilson ever play again for the White Sox? — @brushak

Outfield prospect Charlie Tilson has had a terrible stretch of luck when it comes to injuries since he joined the Sox in the Zach Duke trade last July and played in his lone major-league game. He tore his left hamstring in that game and was sidelined this spring with a stress reaction in his right foot. As he was coming back from that injury, he was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his navicular bone in his right ankle in late June.

Tilson is 24 years old, so while this season (or lack thereof) was a big setback in his development, he has time to progress once he finally gets healthy. So yes, there is certainly a chance he plays for the Sox again. It just won’t be this season.

I would like to know whether the Sox are nimble enough to take advantage of apparently early success and acquire a veteran or two if they are flirting with playoffs next year as opposed to two or three years. Not that I would argue for/against — just if they would I guess be capable of that shift (and if so what are their thoughts on that). — @PeterNickeas

A question from a fellow Trib journalist! I think most major acquisitions they make over the next season or so are going to fit into the Sox vision for contention through probably at least 2020. So it’s certainly possible they add some high-profile veteran players at some point, but ones who have control that fit into that timeline.

If you’re talking trade-deadline acquisitions next season, I think the Sox would be very careful about not trading off the system for short-term help. And call me out on it if I’m wrong next year in July, but I think 2018 is a little too ambitious for contention. There are still too many pieces that won’t be ready to contribute the first half of next season, and that might make it difficult.

More fun covering current White Sox team or 2002 Illini cross country? — @ajwahls

I’m wondering from your handle if you were on that Illini cross country team? I would cover a cross country meet any day. Cross Country and track were my high school sports (shoutout to Rosary coach Vic Mead) and my first sports beats for a newspaper (The Daily Illini), so they hold a soft spot in my heart.

But the Sox, despite the losing record, have been interesting to cover this year because of the rebuild. The many trades and new prospects have given me a lot to write about.

What beat are you moving to? I hear (Chris) Kuc is on the Sox beat next season. — Edward B.

I’m glad you brought this up. As you may have noticed over the last month, Chris Kuc has been covering the White Sox a lot more because he will be taking over as the Sox beat writer at the end of the season. I will be moving onto the Bears coverage team then. I have loved covering the Sox over the last four-plus seasons. Thanks for all of your questions and feedback. And now I’ll pass the mailbag off to Chris. Tweet your questions to him: @ChrisKuc

James Shields says he’s OK after getting struck by batted ball X-rays were negative on Shields, who thought he was hurt more seriously. By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times | September 4, 2017

Right-hander James Shields exited the White Sox’ 5-3 loss to the Indians on Monday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field during the top of the seventh inning after getting hit on the right knee with a line drive off the bat of Francisco Mejia.

X-rays were negative on Shields, who thought he was hurt more seriously before managing a smile as he hobbled off under his own power. The official word is right knee contusion and day-to-day, for Shields, who isn’t a ruling out missing his next start.

“I thought it was broken,” said Shields, who gave up four runs over 6„ innings.

Garcia-Bauer spat

Indians righty Trevor Bauer and Avisail Garcia exchanged words over a couple of at-bats. Bauer said the issue was that Garcia was challenging him to throw more fastballs.

Bauer struck out Garcia in the fourth and pointed to the Sox -dugout as if to say “sit down” which visibly upset Garcia.

“He likes to run his mouth . . .” Bauer said. “I’m not sure he knows that the rules of this game, you can throw whatever pitch you want.

“I threw him a first-pitch slider, he fouled it off, stared right at me, said something while he was nodding his head like, ‘I’m right on you’ so I told him, ‘if you’re that confident, step back in the box, let’s go, get back in the box.’ Then he fouled off another one he should have hit. He looked at me and started nodding again so I threw him a curveball and he swung and missed, so I decided to remind him of the rules of the game, that three strikes and you’re out, you can go sit back in the dugout.

“To his credit, he took it like a champ, he put his head down and shut his mouth and he walked back to the dugout. Good for him.”

Garcia was not immediately available after the game.

“It’s a nice competitive gesture between two guys who are competing against each other,” Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “Listen, they’re both trying to do their best. It’s a little give-and-take from both. I’m sure they respect each other.”

Good Engel on the ball

Center fielder Adam Engel took a home run away from Austin Jackson with the running, leaping catch.

“You just get excited for your pitcher, your team,” Engel said. “You turn a run into an out, which is a momentum play.”

Engel slammed into the padding but held on to the ball.

A Dunning deal

In addition to Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez, the Sox also landed 2016 first-round pick Dane Dunning in the trade in December, and none of the three right-handers have disappointed.

At Class A Winston-Salem, Dunning earned the win in his final start Sunday, allowing one hit with nine strikeouts in a seven-inning shutout at Salem. He retired the final 13 batters he faced, brought his 2017 strikeout total to 168 (11th in the minor leagues) and finished his first season in the Sox system going 8-8 with a 2.94 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP.

This and that

Yoan Moncada (shin) and Nicky Delmonico (wrist) are close to returning, although Renteria said a cautious approach is being taken with both.

— Left-hander David Holmberg will start Tuesday against the Indians.

Yolmer Sanchez knows his place on White Sox Indians defeat White Sox, Shields 5-3 By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times | September 4, 2017

For Yolmer Sanchez, trying to carve his niche as a big-league player, the arrival of prized prospect Yoan Moncada with the White Sox isn’t making his place any roomier.

Sanchez is good enough to be an everyday second baseman in the major leagues, Sox coach and former player of development chief Nick Capra said. At the very least, he profiles as a possible super-utility type who can play second, shortstop and third base —where he made a nice backhand play Monday in the Sox’ 5-3 loss to the Indians.

“A gamer who plays above his abilities,’’ one scout said Monday. “Offensively, he sometimes struggles with the better fastballs, but he can be a tough out, especially in the clutch.’’

Sanchez, a switch hitter, is batting .264 with nine homers and 46 RBI after going 0-for-2 while getting hit by two pitches Monday. His 2.4 WAR, per Baseball Reference, ranks third on the Sox behind Avisail Garcia and Jose Abreu. He also brings life and energy to the clubhouse, on the field and in the dugout, which has value. It’s the kind of zeal Capra would like to see rub off.

Sanchez has produced more than Moncada at the plate and in the field, but he sees the writing on the wall, knowing Moncada will be back from a shin issue any day now and will take a chunk of his playing time during the last month of the season. To his credit, he sees the Sox’ big picture, remains upbeat — you can hear him singing most mornings before day games — and keeps his head down when it comes to going to work.

“I feel I can play every day but you have to understand the situation,’’ Sanchez said. “We got the best minor-league guy, the best prospect in MLB [in Moncada]. When he gets the chance he’s going to play every day. You have to know the situation. We have TA [Tim Anderson] at shortstop, Matty D [Matt Davidson] has 23 homers and Moncada.

“It’s fun to watch Moncada, TA, Davidson. I just wait for my opportunity, I don’t worry about that.’’

Moncada, who is batting .188 with three homers and 11 RBI in 122 plate appearances, hasn’t figured it out at the major- league level.

“He’s still young,’’ Sanchez said. “He has to learn a lot. He can be a superstar. He can hit for power, he can run really fast, and he plays good defense. I’m excited like everybody here, excited to watch him grow and see a lot of things he can do. He’s going to be really good and we’re going to enjoy watching that happen.’’

Just give him time.

“Right now he can do a lot of good things but when he gets more experience he’s going to be really good,’’ Sanchez said. “He’s 22, and he likes to learn, that’s the thing. He wants to be better every day and that’s fun to watch. There is something different about him.’’

Sanchez said he’ll “just try to enjoy it” and continue to try and learn as much as can to improve his own game “because I can learn from everyone here, whether he has one day in the big leagues or 10 years.’’

The Sox fell to 54-82 at the hands of the red-hot Indians despite a two-run homer and RBI double from Rymer Liriano. Trevor Bauer (15-8) pitched 6„ innings of two-run ball for the Indians (81-56), striking out nine and walking one.

White Sox top prospects Jiménez, Kopech receive monthly honors Two of the White Sox’ top prospects received monthly accolades from the organization on Tuesday. By Madeline Kenney / Chicago Sun-Times | September 5, 2017

The White Sox announced Tuesday that outfielder Eloy Jiménez and right-hander Michael Kopech were both named to respective weekly accolades.

For the second consecutive month, Jiménez, who primarily plays for Class AA Birmingham, received the White Sox Minor League Player of the Month title.

On the other hand, Kopech, who has been consistent on the mound for Class AAA Charlotte, was honored as club’s Minor League Pitcher of the Month.

Both honors were decided by a panel of Chicago-area media members.

Jiménez, who is currently rated by MLB.com as the No. 7 prospect in baseball, batted .345 (41-119) with nine doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 19 RBI and 21 runs scored over 30 games in August and September between Birmingham and Class A Winston-Salem. The 20 year old was acquired by the White Sox from the Cubs on July 13 and since then, he has hit .348 with 16 doubles, 11 homers and 33 RBI in 47 games.

Kopech, who is also 20 and is currently rated by MLB.com as the No. 12 prospect in baseball, went 2-1 with a 1.55 ERA (5 ER/29.0 IP), 38 strikeouts and a .210 (22-105) opponents average over five starts in August and September between Charlotte and Birmingham. He pitched 9.0 consecutive scoreless IP while striking out 21 batters over two starts from August 5-12.

Kopech, who the White Sox in December by dealing off left-hand ace Chris Sale to the Red Sox, is 9-8 with a 2.88 ERA and 172 strikeouts over 25 starts.

Both Jiménez and Kopech are scheduled to attend White Sox home games on Tuesday and Wednesday and will speak with the media.

Sox lose 5-3 to streaking Indians By Mike Helfgot / Associated Press | September 4, 2017

CHICAGO -- Trevor Bauer was sharp again to win his eighth decision in a row, and the Cleveland Indians beat the 5-3 on Monday for their 12th straight victory.

A day after tying the major league record with five extra-base hits, including two homers, Jose Ramirez homered again for the Indians, his 23rd of the season. Carlos Santana added his 22nd home run.

Bauer (15-8) gave up two runs on three hits with nine strikeouts and one walk over 6 1/3 innings as the Indians allowed more than two runs for just the third time in the 12-game run. It's the longest winning streak for AL Central-leading Cleveland since a team-record 14 consecutive wins last season.

James Shields (2-6) kept the White Sox in the game before taking a line drive by Francisco Mejia off the knee in the top of the seventh. Shields limped off the field and is considered day-to-day.

The veteran right-hander allowed four runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings, extending his streak to 11 starts without a win.

The 21-year-old Mejia, a top catching prospect, had a run-scoring single in the fourth for his first hit and RBI in his first career start for the Indians.

The White Sox also received a shot in the arm from newcomer Rymer Liriano, who drove in all three runs with a two-run homer in the fifth - his first hit with Chicago - and a run-scoring double in the seventh.

The 26-year-old outfielder's only other career home run came with the San Diego Padres in 2014. He hadn't appeared in the major leagues since then until being called up on Saturday.

Relievers Joe Smith, Tyler Olson and Bryan Shaw set up Cody Allen, who survived two walks to pitch a scoreless ninth for his 24th save in 28 chances.

TURNABOUT

A day after Ramirez hit two home runs that bounced off the gloves of outfielders, White Sox CF Adam Engel robbed Austin Jackson of a home run with a leaping catch over the center-field wall.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Indians: OF Bradley Zimmer is going through the concussion protocol after banging his head attempting to make a diving catch during Saturday's win at Detroit. Manager Terry Francona said the club's medical staff is not certain Zimmer suffered a concussion but wants to be cautious. He could be cleared to play Tuesday. ... OF Jay Bruce (sore neck) was out of the lineup for a third straight game.

White Sox: IF Yoan Moncada (shin contusion) and OF/IF Nicky Delmonico are both "pretty close" to returning from the 10- day disabled list, manager Rick Renteria said. Both rookies went through full workouts with the team before the game.

UP NEXT

RHP Danny Salazar (5-6, 4.30 ERA) will face White Sox LHP David Holmberg (2-3, 3.55 ERA) in the second game of the four-game series. Holmberg will make his first start since June 26. He's 1-2 with a 3.86 ERA as a starter. Salazar was tagged for six runs on 12 hits in 4 2/3 innings in his last start on Aug. 20 against Kansas City.

Young White Sox players learning as they go in transitional season By James Fegan / The Athletic | September 4, 2017

In Chicago, too far away from North Carolina to hear the crack of an Eloy Jimenez home run, let alone the whistle of a fastball, the Jose Quintana trade sent the White Sox into a tailspin.

They started the second half with eight straight losses, and dropped 13 of 14. During that stretch, the oldest member of their rotation of the future, Carlos Rodon, ran up pitch counts too high to make it into the fifth inning of back-to-back starts. In one of those games on July 25, he seethed as he noticed the Cubs were waiting back on him, daring him to throw a strike. He struck out 11 that game, but needed 98 pitches to get through four innings of four-run ball.

At the same time, shortstop Tim Anderson was suffering through his worst month of what he was already referring to as the most difficult season of his career. The sound of him slamming his bat into the rack after at-bats could be heard through a mostly empty park. It was a dark period, but one the Sox insist they knew was coming.

“We know what to expect,” Anderson said. “We have a chance to be really good in two years, maybe three. Right now we’re just playing hard, learning, putting everything we got on the table and seeing what happens.”

The White Sox and the young core players who are already in Chicago know they are a part of a long-term plan, one that was always going to include lean years.

But they are not in hibernation until Michael Kopech, Eloy Jimenez, , or let alone, Luis Robert arrives. Their work is often met with frustration, which they have to deal with on a regular basis.

When director of player development Chris Getz discussed why the White Sox let fireballer Alec Hansen detonate on Low-A hitters for the entirety of the first half, he explained that the organization saw a benefit of one of their top prospects experiencing the rush of a playoff chase.

Even if it was just a South Atlantic League first-half title — which Hansen and company won before being promoted en masse — the Sox saw the purpose in letting Hansen play with a championship at stake, and seeing how he reacted to the pressure.

The major league team will not offer the same opportunity for the young players the White Sox have already called up, and league scouts often warn that a losing situation can expose young players to apathy, stunting their development.

For general manager Rick Hahn, the answer to that issue is simple, and it’s already been given. The players who were selected to endure the lean period in the rebuild were chosen with confidence that they could handle it.

“I think it comes down to the individual character of a player, and when you reference T.A. or Carlos or others who will likely be here, their focus is on winning,” Hahn said. “That’s what they care about. I’m sure they don’t enjoy sitting through difficult games or a difficult season just like the rest of us, but ultimately these are competitors who are focused strictly on trying to win championships. It’s part of their makeup. I don’t see any scenario where any of the guys that we ultimately have on a championship-caliber team are going to be somehow held back because they suffered through some difficult times when they were younger.”

The Sox aren't losing as much as they used. They came into Labor Day as winners of nine of their last 17.

It’s remarkable how little Anderson's answers about going through a rebuild have changed since SoxFest. Where his previous summary of the coming years bringing “some ups, some downs” came across as possibly underselling what was ahead, now it reads as steely resolve from a player who views 2017 as a developmental season for the team and himself.

“I understand the process and know what direction it’s leading me in,” Anderson said. “I’m just happy to be aboard.”

Rodon, if anything, has gotten noticeably more scrupulous about his routine rather than less. He credited his rehab work from biceps bursitis containing a small blessing in disguise, forcing a rigorous daily schedule on him like never before.

Even when he reeled off a hot streak of five-straight deep starts in a row, he was still tweaking his process and picking nits. He started warming up earlier out of dissatisfaction for how long it was taking to hit his top velocity in games.

New White Sox core prospects Lucas Giolito, Yoan Moncada and Reynaldo Lopez all made their original debuts with contending teams that quickly reduced or changed their roles when their struggles clashed with the team's larger contending goals.

To a man, they have taken a lot more comfort in steady and consistent playing time and routines. While post-loss clubhouses aren't lively, the day-to-day atmosphere of the last-place White Sox is upbeat. How many teams on pace for 98 losses have a pre-game dance circle in the dugout?

“They like to work hard, they have a lot of energy and I’m just glad to be part of them and I’m glad we in an organization that allows me to be part of this process too,” veteran Jose Abreu said through an interpreter. “Something that I’m glad for is to be around their personalities. They have a lot of energy and they’re having fun. For us as veterans, that’s something you can get energized being around with those young players.”

It's a bit easier to put together endorsements of the mental state of the team and its young players now.

Lopez and Giolito, two pillars of a future rotation, have come up and immediately had success alongside Rodon.

Keeping the young players motivated through a tough year is essentially Renteria's most important job, which is probably why he seemed to be the most cautious about ruling it a success. When asked to assess how successful the Sox have been with combatting frustration and disappointment, he wouldn't go beyond “decent.”

“You guys would have to tell me if you think their energy level has been down over the course of the last 130 days,” Renteria said. “I think there have been very few games in which you look out there and if you took away the scoreboard — and this is what I measure it by — take away the scoreboard and you don't know what the score is and you come in off the streets and you sit down and watch the ballgame. Based on the way they're playing between the lines you can't tell if they're winning or losing. That's what our team is doing. I think if you eliminate the scoreboard, come on in and watch us play, you don't know who's winning or losing, you just know you've got two teams competing.”

By the numbers: White Sox narrowly avoid major injury, conflict in loss to Cleveland By James Fegan / The Athletic | September 4, 2017

Labor Day at the ballpark was almost witness to an Avisail Garcia-Trevor Bauer confrontation, and almost witness to James Shields’ right knee shattering, but thankfully neither came to pass, and we settled for first-place Cleveland beating the last-place White Sox (54-82) by the entirely normal score of 5-3. Trevor Bauer struck out nine in 6 1/3 often show- stopping and occasionally testy innings, while James Shields’ improved stuff was felled by enough command mistakes to power the Cleveland attack behind a Carlos Santana home run and RBI knocks by Roberto Perez and rookie Francisco Mejia, who recorded his first major league hit.

“He was using his breaking ball pretty effectively down out of the zone, and then he started using his fastball a little more, so he had a couple of different times he was changing his tactics,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said of Bauer. “He started getting his fastball to 97, 98 at some point. He was using that breaking ball effectively out of the zone, dropping it in for a strike and then continuing to go in and out. He’s got good stuff.”

***

12: Consecutive victories for the Indians, who are closing in on a second consecutive AL Central title this year and will probably take the division again next year unless Byron Buxton turns into Mike Trout. Just give them the crown, so maybe they will be more merciful when 2019 rolls around.

2: Hits in a White Sox uniform for Rymer Liriano. That might not be a huge total for his third game on the team, but he's had plenty of impact. Liriano caught hold of a hanger from Bauer in the fifth, driving it into the left-field seats to bring the game within a run. It was just the Sox's third hit of the game on a day when Chicago's lineup was getting mostly overwhelmed. Later he sliced an RBI double to right field to bring the Sox within 4-3 in the seventh. He’s struck out in five of his 11 plate appearances so far, but he reached base three times Monday and is perhaps getting comfortable in the majors.

“It's been hard for me to get back to the majors. I've worked a lot on my swing in the minor leagues,” Liriano said. “My debut felt like the first time. It's been like, two years, so hard not to play.”

Two is also the number of singles Tim Anderson collected Monday as he continues to look more lively at the plate over the past month.

394: Feet on the Austin Jackson drive that Adam Engel snagged over the wall as his face collided with the padding at full speed, popping off his glasses and hat in the process. Engel held the ball up in his glove while lying on his back as a sort of verification that he was still conscious while everyone applauded. He has struggled mightily at the plate in the second half, but has only become more aggressive in the field down the stretch.

“Luckily the wall gives in that area of the park,” Engel said. “It gives pretty good. I kind of hit and flopped off of it so it didn’t hurt too bad.”

30: Rough number of seconds that Garcia lingered to exchange words with Bauer after striking out in the bottom of the fourth. Video showed Garcia talking to Bauer and gesturing to him after fouling off a hanging cutter, to which Bauer responded by pointing at him to get back in the batter’s box. Bauer then pointed to the dugout after striking Garcia out.

“He likes to run his mouth,” Bauer said. “You start sitting there talking, ‘Oh, they don’t throw me fastballs. Why do they just throw me breaking balls?’ He’s said it before. Not sure he knows that the rules of this game say you can throw whatever pitch you want. He started yapping at me. I threw him a first-pitch slider. He fouled it off, stared right at me, said something while he was nodding his head, like ‘I’m right on you' or something. I told him, ‘If you’re that confident, step back in the box. Let’s go. Get back in the box.' And then he fouled off a pitch, another one that he should have hit. It was right down the middle and he missed it. And then he looked at me and started nodding again. I threw him a curveball. He swung and missed. I decided to remind him of the rules of the game. Three strikes, you’re out. You can go sit back in the dugout. To his credit, he took it like a champ. He put his head down, he shut his mouth and he walked himself back to the dugout. Good for him.”

10: Feet Bauer walked off the mound after he thought he landed a 2-2 curve on Garcia in their next matchup in the sixth. He bent his knees and opened his mouth wide with shock as he realized the call went against him. Ten feet is also about as high as Garcia flipped his bat after Bauer missed high on a 3-2 pitch to walk him. No brawl broke out, but there was some theater.

“It’s a nice competitive gesture between two guys who are competing against each other,” said a diplomatic Renteria. “Listen, they’re both trying to do their best. It’s a little give and take from both of them. I’m sure they respect each other.”

104.5 mph: The speed on the Mejia line drive that struck Shields on his right knee in the top of the seventh inning, leaving the pitcher crumpled in a heap while Omar Narvaez raced to make the putout. Shields laid in the dirt clutching his knee in agony for a while, but managed to limp off on his own power and X-rays turned out negative. I’ll hand out free The Athletic T-shirts on State Street if he manages to make his next start on regular rest after suffering such a blow, but we’ll see. Jake Petricka allowed Francisco Lindor to drive in his inherited runner after coming in, so Shields has fallen short of a quality start in his last two times out.

“I thought it was broken,” Shields said, adding that he does expect to make his next start. “It hit the side of my kneecap and the initial thought was it was broken. It’s going to be sore for the next couple of days I would imagine, but I’ll be fine.”

27: The age of White Sox reliever Chris Beck, who celebrated his birthday by allowing an insurance home run to Jose Ramirez in the eighth, but also picked off Lonnie Chisenhall after a walk. That’s the wisdom and trickery that another year brings. Monday was also Willy Garcia's and Hawk Harrelson’s birthday. Garcia was mistaken for Liriano by autograph seekers before the game, but he did not have three RBIs like Liriano.

Avisail Garcia showing “competitive gestures” in breakout season By James Fegan / The Athletic | September 5, 2017

Last month, the Detroit Tigers and combined to hit four batters, which resulted in three brawls, eight ejections, and two suspensions. Somehow no one got hurt, but this would probably be example of too much unbridled competitive intensity on display.

On Monday, Avisail Garcia and Trevor Bauer showed just the right amount. The two began chirping at each other during a fourth inning at-bat, spicing up a seemingly sleepy showdown between a playoff-bound defending AL pennant-holder and a last place rebuilder.

Bauer is deservingly getting all the attention at the moment, because he's rolling for a World Series contender and he gives great quotes. Garcia challenged him and Bauer responded by throwing harder and more effectively. He earned the joy of clowning him afterward.

“I threw him a curveball,” Bauer said. “He swung and missed. I decided to remind him of the rules of the game. Three strikes, you’re out. You can go sit back in the dugout. To his credit, he took it like a champ. He put his head down, he shut his mouth and he walked himself back to the dugout. Good for him.”

Bauer's an unreliable narrator since he starts his whole retelling by saying the very bilingual Garcia was speaking in Spanish and he couldn't understand him, so it's in the right sweet spot of arrogance.

As for Garcia, Sox fans with good memories might remember Orlando Cabrera unsuccessfully jawing with Grant Balfour in the 2008 ALDS. I'm sure it was communicated to Garcia that he could serve to rein it in a bit going forward.

But Garcia has worn the mask of intensity during the entirety of his breakout season, and it's been overwhelmingly to his benefit. The same intensity is why Garcia busts it down the line every time, to the point where he has more infield hits than Billy Hamilton and Dee Gordon. If there's a definitive image of Garcia's 2017, it's him skipping any celebration of a ninth-inning Tim Anderson home run in a game against the Yankees on June 26, and going straight into killer mode at the prospect of an at-bat with the chance to tie the game. (Garcia grounded out two batters later with the tying run on second.)

Talking to Bauer mid-at bat, or demanding to be challenged with fastballs maybe wasn't the wisest move in the world, but it was a confident one, the latter quality is far more coveted. Garcia should walk up to the plate feeling like he's on everything Bauer's throwing, and it's big for him to show that in a middle of an afternoon where his teammates are struggling. He just probably doesn't need to tell Bauer that.

Their two showdowns in the fourth and sixth innings were the two most compelling plate appearances of the game, and Garcia looked uncowed drawing a full count walk right after being struck out and being told to sit down in his home park. The batter-pitcher showdown is as direct of a one-on-one battle of wills as there is in sports, and when they decided to embrace it, we get something worth watching.

“It’s a nice competitive gesture between two guys who are competing against each other,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said with an amused smile. “Listen, they’re both trying to do their best. It’s a little give and take from both of them. I’m sure they respect each other. Just in the competitive battle, sometimes you turn.”

Q-and-A With White Sox’s Lucas Giolito: Fastball Command Is Biggest Focus By Bruce Levine / CBS Chicago | September 4, 2017

CHICAGO (CBS) — White Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito has been a standout performer since his call-up from Triple-A Charlotte, going 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA and 0.80 WHIP in three starts.

Acquired from the Nationals last December in the Adam Eaton trade, the 23-year-old Giolito recently took time for a question-and-answer session on how he’s adjusting to his new settings.

How has handling the spotlight been?

Giolito: “Media attention and all of that stuff that comes with it are just part of the job. That does not bother me in the least. As a matter of fact, it is fun and enjoyable. I like to give a good interview or see what is going on Twitter sometimes. You don’t get too deep into it, but at the same time, it is all good stuff. The outside stuff has never been an issue.”

Have you thought much about having the potential to be a big star in a big city?

Giolito: “I have never paid it much mind. It is cool after a performance to hear the fans and see their interest. I love that they are supporting it and that people care. What I am doing is for myself and for my team. That is what it comes down to at the very base level. We play a team sport. I am going out there to win for the team.”

What’s you biggest key to success?

Giolito: “The first thing is to command the fastball. Strike one is very important. Using the fastball to get ahead is the goal. The thing I have learned this year that has been so valuable is to pitch up in the zone. Pounding the ball up in the zone is different for me now. When I was in high school, they taught us to get that angle down in the lower zone. You learn to use the downward angle, but you can pitch up with it. Both the lower and upper end and off-speed work off of that very well. Fastball command is one, two and three for me.

“The new trend of batters swinging up makes hitters try to golf pitches. Last year I was burned a bit by that approach. When my fastball was flat and throwing a good fastball down or change-up down, guys would just clobber it. Now early in the count, I am running a fastball up and in there. This can generate a weak or more defensive swing.”

How does being 6-foot-6 help you on the mound?

Giolito: “Being tall helps me generate some angles with my pitches that hitters don’t always like. I don’t really think about that much. I am able to throw the ball up and down because of it. Even the fastball that is up may look like it is coming down because of those angles. We did that in my last start — fastballs up, fastballs down. The breaking balls are more effective this way.”

You’ve come to find out that in your case, velocity is overrated?

Giolito: “When I was trying to throw 97 miles per hour is when I was getting in trouble. I was leaving the ball over the middle to get hit by trying to force pitches. I was just overthrowing. Now I am at a point where I know where my arm is at. It would be cool to add on velocity. I know it is in there, because I have shown it before. In the offseason, maybe I can work on building up arm strength for next season. Right now I am going to use what I have and trust what I have — 92-93 (with movement) is going to be better than 97 down the middle.”

What’s pitching coach Don Cooper meant to to your development?

Giolito: “The slider that he started to help me with in spring training, I have been throwing it all year. It was inconsistent in the minor leagues, but I stuck with it. Now up here, it has become a weapon. It has a vertical break to it. For me, it acts like a way harder curveball you could say. It is a little tighter and smaller. I have been able to throw it in a second-pitch sequence and create a swing and miss. The slider for sure was Coop’s suggestion, and we have been working on that all year.”