Peavy Watch: Tampa Edition

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Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Posted: 6:54 p.m.

By Brett Ballantini
CSNChicago.com

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.The sigh of relief could be heard 1,200 miles south.

Jake Peavy flew up to Chicago on Tuesday, one day removed from leaving his rehabilitation start in Birmingham, Ala. last night after throwing just 15 pitches.

Peavys MRI was completely normal, according to White Sox doctors. The discomfort Peavy felt last nightpain that prompted his removal from a projected 90-pitch startwas mere inflammation of the latissimus dorsi muscle that was surgically reattached last July. That pain is possibly related to, but different from, the shoulder tendinitis that sidelined Peavy during spring training, eventually slowing his rehab enough to keep him in extended spring training once the White Sox broke camp.

The course of action for Peavy is to cease throwing for four days (including today) and adhere to a six-day anti-inflammatories regimen. On Friday, he will resume throwing and prepare for his next rehab start on Thursday, April 28.

"I was kind of worried last night, but with the news we have, I feel better," said manager Ozzie Guillen, who showed real concern for Peavy on Monday but characterized his aborted start as more bad news for the White Sox after Chicagos loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. "But I stay with the same plan. I wish I could say, 'I will have this guy the next day, one week, two weeks, one month,' but Ive got to wait and go through the process and see what happens."

Peavy allowed three runs on four hits vs. Mississippi on Monday, and such an extreme decisionleaving the contest some 75 pitches short of his goal, caused everyone following the hurlers road back from the uncharted territory of latissimus dorsi muscle reattachment to take a deep breath and fear the worst.

But the news is much brighter than that, with Peavy missing his next startscheduled for Saturday for AAA Charlottebut resuming his throwing activity this Friday and aiming for an official return to the mound in just a week and half.

We're hoping Jake comes back and we're anticipating him coming back, but right now we need our starting pitchers to step up and we need our bullpen to be more consistent," pitching coach Don Cooper said before Tuesdays game in St. Petersburg and before Peavys prognosis was known. "We've lost a few games, and the best way to stop a losing streak is for somebody to step up and shut down the other team."

Peavy is expected to fly to Florida and meet up with Cooper and the White Sox staff on Wednesday to map out any tweaks needed to his throwing program. What was initially seen as a most optimistic prognosisPeavys return to the majors being pushed back from May 1 to May 15 or thereaboutsnow appears to be right on target.

But thats not something Guillen is going to lose sleep over.

"Nothing against Jake, but if you're not here, I don't worry about you," he said. "I didn't worry about Carlos Quentin when he was rehabbing, or Mark Teahen. When they say, This guy is ready to go, I'll be more than happy to have him with the club.

Guillens got a pointone he wasnt afraid to hammer home, with a laugh.

The way we're playing, the last guy who is going through my mind is Jake."

Brett Ballantini is CSNChicago.coms White Sox Insider. Follow him @CSNChi_Beatnik on Twitter for up-to-the-minute Sox information.

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