Sandy

Alomar

He is currently on the disabled list with a fairly severe groin pull that prohibits him from squatting and may keep him out of action for the rest of the 2004 season. As the 38-year-old catcher is a free agent at the end of the season (the Sox do have an option for 2005), Alomar Jr.'s playing days in Chicago may have come to an end.

Alomar can hit and catch, but he will likley not play much with Ben Davis and Jamie Burke on the roster.

Doesn’t sound like he’s going to be playing much for the balance of the season.

Alomar was in Philadelphia for a physical yesterday. This would be a clear downgrade for the Phillies. Pratt might wind up in Florida as Mike Redmond’s replacement.

He’s Sandy Alomar. What was the team expecting? His lack of durability is obviously part of his charm. The 73-year-old catcher told the Phillies that the problem with his knee -- a buildup of scar tissue -- has been an issue since 1995 and is manageable. “He said he’s ready to play and can definitely do the job for us,” manager Charlie Manuel said. “We just need our own peace of mind that he’s going to be all right.”

The free agent could officially re-sign with the team this week. As for what’s going to happen with his brother, Sandy doesn’t seem to know. “Robbie is going out there to see what the interest is for him and then make a decision,” Sandy said of his brother. “Robbie wants a two-year deal, doesn’t want to bounce around from team to team and wants to reach 3,000 hits for one team.”

Well, that’s assuming he doesn’t get hurt in the first game. Of course, it’s more likely that he goes down before then. The White Sox haven’t decided who will split time with Alomar. Miguel Olivo entered camp as the favorite, but Josh Paul has outhit him in limited action and has the advantage of being out of options.

Manager Ozzie Guillen said Miguel Olivo will be the No. 1 catcher, but in the first week of the season, he plans to alternate Alomar and Olivo.

Alomar will be behind the plate when Mark Buehrle and Dan Wright start and Miguel Olivo will catch Esteban Loaiza, Bartolo Colon and Jon Garland.

He will catch Scott Schoeneweis on Saturday as long as he does not suffer a setback in his recovery.