Zach Putnam was available out of the White Sox bullpen on Wednesday after missing two games with elbow soreness.
The 28-year-old Putnam underwent an MRI on his right elbow after not having pitched June 1 against the New York Mets. His 2.35 ERA is the second-best mark among White Sox relievers, and he hasn't allowed a run in his last seven outings. Over those 8 2/3 innings, Putnam held opposing hitters to a .226/.265/.226 slash line with two walks and 10 strikeouts.
White Sox manager Robin Ventura said Putnam "is good now" after being cleared by head trainer Herm Schneider.
"He’d been sore and you’ve got to stay away from him," Ventura said. "Right now they say he’s fine to go, so he’s available today and if we need to use him, we can use him."
Putnam relieved an ineffective James Shields in the third inning of Wednesday night's game against the Washington Nationals, his first appearance in a week. He threw one inning and allowed two hits with no runs, walks or strikeouts.