Avisail Garcia likely out for rest of White Sox series in Toronto

TORONTO — As if the White Sox don’t have enough problems trying to climb their way out of a team hitting slump, their team leader in batting average and on-base percentage will be out of action for at least two games.

Right fielder Avisail Garcia has been battling a sore right knee for more than a week, and after he came out of Monday’s game in the second inning, manager Robin Ventura will extend his time off the artificial turf at Rogers Centre Tuesday night and, in all likelihood, Wednesday afternoon as well.

The last thing Ventura needs is to have Garcia, who is second on the team with 18 RBI, on the disabled list.

“I hope not,” he said when asked if that is a possibility. “For right now, even the way he ran last night, I just didn’t feel comfortable leaving him in there. It was fine before the game, but the tendinitis that’s in there is causing it enough discomfort over time when he keeps running on it that I just don’t feel comfortable leaving him in there.”

Garcia has been trying to play through it and stay on the field but without much success. he was lifted for a pinch runner in the 10th inning last Monday, the first indication something was amiss. After playing the next three games, the knee kept him out of action against the Twins Friday and Saturday at U.S. Cellular Field. He started Sunday but came out of the game in the seventh, and on Monday he came out in the second when he didn’t move well after a ball hit into the corner.

“As of right now, we’re going to see if we can get him off the turf and give him a few days of not doing anything here and see how he looks when we got to Baltimore,” Ventura said.

Chris Beck gets the call

AAA Charlotte right-hander Chris Beck will be brought up Thursday to start Game 2 of the makeup doubleheader in Baltimore. Chris Sale will start Game 1.

Carlos Rodon returns to the rotation after what will be a planned eight-day rest after his last start last Wednesday against the Indians at home. The Sox are monitoring the rookie’s innings and workload.

Beck, a second-round draft choice in 2012, is 3-2 with a 3.30 ERA in eight starts for Charlotte. He has 33 strikeouts and 11 walks in 46 1/3 innings. The Sox are allowed to expand the roster to 26 for the doubleheader.

“You can use somebody that’s already in your bullpen,” Ventura said, “but you get 26 guys, so you might as well see what he’s got. We’ve gotten great reports on him, so we feel it’s a good time for him to come up and start and start that process.”

Hector Noesi, who was replaced by Rodon in the rotation but made a spot start in his place Monday, should be available in the bullpen by Friday or Saturday, Ventura said.

Rodon will be followed by Jose Quintana Saturday and John Danks Sunday in Houston.

About that play

Alexei Ramirez declined to talk to reporters after Monday night’s 6-0 loss to the Jays after the shortstop’s misstep around second base cost the Sox a good chance to turn a double play in the first inning. The Jays went on to score four runs against Noesi.

Through an interpreter, Ramirez said he wasn’t upset, just “worried about what happened in the game. That was it.”

“It was a very quick play. I was playing deep and it was really quick. I did what I could.

“I wanted to make the play. It just happens sometimes. It’s tough when plays like that are so quick and unfortunately it didn’t happen for us.”