A Schelling For Your Thoughts

Reliever Bruney designated for assignment

By Jordan Schelling / MLB.com

MINNEAPOLIS — When the White Sox decided they wanted to see their new pitching prospect — Zach Stewart — start Saturday’s game, reliever Brian Bruney was the odd man out.As recently as July 26, Bruney had a 2.16 ERA with a 1-0 record in 19 appearances. Since then, Bruney had surrendered 11 runs over three innings, raising his ERA more than 4 1/2 runs.He allowed 12 hits, including three homers, and one walk while facing 22 batters. Bruney’s worst outing came on July 30 against the Red Sox, when he gave up six runs on seven hits — two of which were home runs — in 1 2/3 innings of work.

“The last four outings were very rough on him,” manager Ozzie Guillen said. “But overall, he’s not pitched bad for us.

“I wasn’t crazy about him, but I was happy with what he did.”

Stewart given opportunity to help out

MINNEAPOLIS — After letting him make one start for Triple-A Charlotte, the White Sox recalled Zach Stewart for Saturday’s game against the Twins at Target Field to see what they’ve got in him.

Stewart arrived in the visitors’ clubhouse about three hours before game time, and he quickly got some introductions out of the way before trying to settle in and get ready for his start.

“We wanted to take a look at him,” said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. “Because for the next few days, we’re going to see how he can help out this year.”

Before the White Sox acquired Stewart from the Blue Jays, he made three starts (0-1 with a 4.86 ERA) for Toronto. His start on Saturday was the fourth of his Major League career and his first since June 27 at Detroit.

Guillen told Stewart before the game not to try to do too much in his White Sox debut.

“‘Just go do what you’re supposed to do,'” Guillen said. “‘Have fun out there and we’ll take care of the rest. You did not come here to save us, you did not come here to be the guy that’s going to take us to the next level. You came here to help us win some games’.

“‘Just go out there and pitch. Just throw strikes.'”

Stewart followed that advice perfectly to pick up his first Major League win in the 6-1 White Sox victory. The right-hander allowed one run on eight hits over 6 1/3 innings, walking one and striking out two.

Starters get an extra day of rest

MINNEAPOLIS — With the move to bring up Zach Stewart to pitch Saturday’s game against the Twins, everyone else in the White Sox rotation was bumped back a day.

That includes Jake Peavy, who was originally scheduled to start on Saturday, but White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said the move did not have anything specifically to do with Peavy, who threw a season-high 115 pitches in his last start.

“It gives everybody one more day of rest,” Guillen said. “We’ve got [17] games without a day off. I think we will need [Stewart] in the starting rotation or in the bullpen, just in case, as a long man. Then we have two doubleheaders with Cleveland and Minnesota.”

Guillen said the team did not plan to go back to a six-man rotation. It could happen, but the decision would be influenced by Stewart’s performance in his start.

Peavy said the six-man rotation has had a lot to do with the success of the starting rotation.

From a personal standpoint, Peavy has benefited from the six-man rotation as he works to recover from an injury last July in which the tendon that anchors the latissimus dorsi muscle to the rear of his right shoulder had detached.

Peavy put in plenty of hard work in the offseason to get back for the White Sox this season, but even with the six-man rotation has only worked seven or more innings three times.

“I think it’s helped all of us,” Peavy said. “It’s certainly helped me, there’s no doubt. Coming back off this surgery … my body’s just not responding the way we wanted it to.”

Jordan Schelling is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.