White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson, who has been out since June 25 with a high sprain of his right ankle, will begin a rehab assignment Wednesday at Class AAA Charlotte.
Anderson might return to the majors as soon as next week, when the Sox open a three-game home series against the Mets after a day off Monday. Manager Rick Renteria, however, said there is no timetable.
‘‘It will be determined by how he is feeling and coming along,’’ Renteria said.
Anderson, the American League Player of the Month for April, is batting .317 with 11 home runs, 37 RBI, 15 stolen bases and a .491 slugging percentage in 70 games.
‘‘We miss him; the guys miss him,’’ Renteria said. ‘‘Everybody knows what he brings to the table. I just told him to go down there and get himself ready. Don’t put yourself in position to put yourself in peril.’’
Anderson talked with reporters after running the bases at full tilt Monday at Guaranteed Rate Field. He said he expected to be back in ‘‘a week or two.’’
‘‘Man, I just appreciate the game a lot more,’’ he said of stepping back and watching from outside the foul lines. ‘‘Just watching, it’s different. You’re playing in front of all of those people. . . . I’m ready to get back out there and give those people a show.’’
Buehrle types a dying breed
Left-hander Mark Buehrle was a five-time All-Star who threw 200 innings or more in 14 consecutive seasons, often without topping 90 mph. That’s because he had movement on his pitches, located them and changed speeds. But pitchers like him are a dying breed in the age of power arms.
‘‘It’s harder for guys to get started in pro ball because if you’re not lighting up the gun, you might not get that chance,’’ pitching coach Don Cooper said during a conversation about Buehrle’s perfect game 10 years ago. ‘‘But guys dominate in different ways.
‘‘Everyone thinks domination is through velocity, but it can also be changing speeds, locating and movement, a la [Tom] Glavine, a la Buehrle, a la [Greg] Maddux. There’s three right there, and two of them are Hall of Famers.
‘‘In every sport, people are enamored with speed. Velocity of the pitch, speed of the lineman, speed of the running back, speed of the car going around the track. Speed, speed, speed. But he’s a guy who showed you there’s other ways to dominate games.’’
Chipping in
Renteria and coach Daryl Boston, in partnership with Rebuilding Together Chicago, will assist in renovating the house of a 91-year-old war veteran and grandfather Wednesday in Englewood. They will join Volunteer Corps members to assist with the renovations before the unveiling of the new home. The event is part of Sox Serve Week.
