White Sox notes: Lawrie/Anderson, Shields, Morneau, Jackson

CLEVELAND – Second baseman Brett Lawrie describes the transition process of working alongside rookie shortstop Tim Anderson as “great.”

“It’s been real smooth,’’ Lawrie said Friday of working with his new double-play partner. “There hasn’t been any challenge. We’re both athletes out there and we use that to our advantage. Playing with each other up the middle has been great.’’

Lawrie has been an iron man at second while having Jimmy Rollins, Tyler Saladino, Carlos Sanchez and now Anderson as a double-play partner up the middle. He said he and Anderson stay on the same page by “talking all the time” on the field.

Lawrie, who had spent most of his time in Oakland and Toronto playing third base but also playing second, continues to relish being locked in at one position.

“It’s been fantastic,’’ he said, “just having one thing on my mind every day coming to the park. I love it.’’

Lawrie didn’t get extensive reps with Anderson during spring training because they were usually on different fields but he said he got enough. Anderson was set to play his seventh straight game at shortstop Friday night in Cleveland.

Jackson has knee surgery

Center fielder Austin Jackson will be on crutches for two weeks and re-examined in four weeks following surgery Wednesday in Los Angeles to debride and remove a small portion of the medial meniscus in his left knee.

Right-handers Jake Petricka (torn labrum in his right hip) and Daniel Webb (Tommy John) both underwent surgeries on June 10. Petricka is likely out for the season.

Confident Morneau on road with Sox

Justin Morneau, signed to a $1 million contract and a potential answer at designated hitter after the All-Star break, has been hitting off a tee since Monday and will take flips next Monday. Working his way back after elbow surgery, the 34-year-old left-handed hitting 2014 AL batting champion believes he can perform at a similar level.

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe that,’’ said Morneau, who is traveling with the team. “I was surprised the first day I hit off the tee, how the swing felt good and close it felt to where I wanted it to be. I’m not here just to have fun or to try to maybe help out the younger hitters. I’m here to try to be successful and help out if I can.

“If I wanted to do that, I would coach. It’s one of those things I still have a fire and desire to do well and to compete.’’

Morneau hit to a .310/.363/.458 slash line over 182 plate appearances with the Colorado Rockies in 2015 after posting .319/.364/.496 line in 2014.

Shields working on it

Ventura said Saturday starter James Shields, who is 0-2 with a 21.41 ERA over his last three starts (covering only 9 2/3 innings) for the Padres and Sox, had an encouraging side session with pitching coach Don Cooper: “We’ll know more when he goes out there, but it feels good. He and Coop have been out there working on some stuff, and they feel good about it. And that’s good news for me, too.’’

Shields was originally scheduled for Sunday, but he and Carlos Rodon switched spots in the rotation.

“You know they’re going to be together [in the rotation] plus you can split up the righties a little bit,” manager Robin Ventura said. “You know you’re going to try to give Carlos a little extra time [rest] here and there. That’s part of what we did the last time [when he skipped a turn with a sore neck], and then we give him another day here, we have a chance to do that.”

This and that

The Sox are expected to announce a number of draft signings Saturday, including 26^th-overall pick Zack Burdi of Louisville and 49th pick Alec Hansen, both hard-throwing right-handers. Speculation exists that Burdi, whose fastball can touch triple digits, could make the Sox roster before the end of the season.

Catcher Zack Collins of Miami, selected 10th overall, is still playing in the College World Series.

*Outfielder-first baseman Jerry Sands cleared waivers and was outrighted to AAA Charlotte. Sands was designated for assignment on June 7.