White Sox' Jose Abreu leaves game, has finger X-rayed

HOUSTON — White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu was headed to a local medical facility Friday night to have his right index finger X-rayed after the White Sox’ defeated the Houston Astros 6-3 in 11 innings.Abreu has been bothered by the finger, which he initially injured while hitting in a batting cage at U.S. Cellular Field about two weeks ago. It was sore and swollen Friday.“That situation was getting worse and today I couldn’t continue playing,” said Abreu, who left during the eighth inning. “I was talking to [trainer] Hermie [Schneider] and I said ‘I can’t play any more.’ And that was the right choice not just for me but the team.”Catcher Tyler Flowers took over at first base for Abreu, and Geovany Soto took Abreu’s spot in the lineup and replaced Flowers behind the plate. Soto broke a 3-all tie with a two-run double off the right field wall against Astros lefty Tony Sipp, so it all worked out for the Sox.Abreu was charged with an error for a high flip to pitcher Carlos Rodon covering first during the sixth inning. Rodon got tangled up on the play with Luis Valbuena and fell to the ground.“I didn’t throw the ball to the right spot because I didn’t feel the finger,” Abreu said through an interpreter. “It was the right decision at the right time.”Manager Robin Ventura said Abreu would likely miss Saturday’s game. The Sox were keeping their fingers crossed that their All-Star and American League Rookie of the Year won’t miss much more than that. He was 2-for-4 with a run scored Friday, his 11th multi-hit game of the season, and has hit safely in 22 of the last 25 games.

“Right now I don’t know,” Abreu said. “I’m going to the hospital to take the X-ray and see the situation. When we get the results, Robin and Hermie will take a decision for tomorrow. Until we get the results, we have to wait.”“We started moving guys all over the place, just trying to figure out who you got and who’s available,” Ventura said.Right fielder Avisail Garcia missed his fifth straight game with a sore right knee. He might return Saturday.“It was a nice win,” Ventura said. “These guys battled but I think you look at team wins you’ll have at some point and this is a big one because it was a bit of a MASH unit, knowing that before we started the game. As the night went along, we tried to figure out how Robby felt and he felt good enough to go out and close it down. A lot of good stuff all around.”Ventura himself was part of the walking wounded after he hurt his back catching Flowers, who fell over the dugout rail chasing down a foul ball.“He’s heavy, and it doesn’t feel very good,” said Ventura, whose back was wrapped in ice. Flowers was completely flipped over, head down and feet up while in Ventura’s grasp.”I think I might have saved his life,” Ventura said. “He better at least think so.”Flowers is 6-4, 245 pounds.”Definitely saved me from some more pain,” Flowers said. “I was expecting, once my feet left underneath me, I figured I was going down. It’d be tough to catch me and also trying to dodge the ball, a lot of things going on there.”