White Sox left fielder Melky Cabrera is expected to miss three to four games because of a mild right wrist sprain.
Cabrera, who has been the Sox’ most consistent hitter, aggravated the wrist Tuesday in the Minnesota Twins’ 4-0 victory. He originally hurt it diving for a ball in Cleveland two weekends ago. It flared up again Tuesday on a swing and when he leaped near the wall on Brian Dozier’s second home run.
A switch-hitter, Cabrera said the wrist bothers him only swinging left-handed but the Sox doctors and training staff are prescribing rest. Cabrera is 11-for-26 (.423) with two homers, one triple, two doubles, six RBI and four runs scored over the last six games.
Avisail Garcia, who has been used primarily as a designated hitter or a right fielder, started in left field Wednesday.
The injury is a tough blow to the Sox, who have struggled to score runs consistently. Cabrera is batting .294/.344/.462 with eight homers and 39 RBI and has been used in the cleanup and fifth spots in manager Robin Ventura’s lineup. Switch-hitting catcher Dioner Navarro, who is batting .214, is batting fifth Wednesday.
“It’s difficult because I want to play, but the doctors said the best for me right now is just to take a rest for a couple of days because I have inflammation there,” Cabrera said through translator Billy Russo. “But yeah, for me, I want to play. I don’t like to be on the bench. I want to play because the team needs me and I need the team.”
“It hurts to not have him in there,” manager Robin Ventura said. “We’re going to have to figure out a way to make up for that.”
Here was the Sox lineup: Anderson SS, Eaton RF, Abreu DH, Frazier 1B, Navarro C, Lawrie 2B, Shuck CF, Garcia LF, Saladino 3b.
Putnam hoping to avoid surgery
Right-hander Zach Putnam is facing the possibility an arthroscopic procedure to remove bone chips from his elbow, or even Tommy John surgery, he said, but remains hopeful of avoiding each of those season-ending scenarios.
“We are working day to day to figure out a timeline and how we want to proceed,’’ Putnam, 28, said Wednesday.
Surgery is “still in the mix,’’ Putnam said. “Obviously the goal is to avoid that if possible. I think we are going to give it the old college try and try to see if we can get through the rest of the season without having to do a procedure.’’
Putnam had a burn spur removed from his right elbow as a Cub in of 2013, which gave relief for a year and a half or two years, he said, but soreness has “just kind of been creeping up on me a little bit.’’
“My last two outings, Cleveland and Boston [last week] I started having some pretty serious issues again that I couldn’t ignore,’’ he said.
Putnam has been one of the Sox’ more effective relievers with a 2.30 ERA and 30 strikeouts and 11 walks over 27 1/3 innings. He walked the bases loaded against the Red Sox in his last outing.
“I was having a hard time throwing strikes, losing some feeling in my fingers. It was starting to become an issue,’’ he said.
Depending on how the elbow feels he said he might try to throw this weekend in Houston.
Purke optioned to Charlotte
Class AAA Charlotte third baseman Matt Davidson (.268, 10 homers, 20 doubles, 46 RBI) and infielder-outfielder Leury Garcia (.310, 18 RBI, 12 steals) were named to the International League All-Star team, and it would makes sense if Davidson gets called up Thursday. The Sox, who have been carrying 13 pitchers, are especially short on the bench with Cabrera out, optioned lefty Matt Purke to Charlotte after the game Wednesday. Davidson is batting .476 in his last six games and has an .838 OPS in June.