Top White Sox prospect Eloy Jimenez to make 2018 debut at Class AA Birmingham

OAKLAND, Calif. — The chase is on. Outfielder Eloy Jimenez, the White Sox’ No.  1 prospect, is joining Class AA Birmingham and will make his season debut Thursday with the Barons. This follows an extended spring-training stint in Arizona as the 21-year-old worked his way back from a strained left pectoral muscle.

“Everybody’s excited,” Sox manager Rick Renteria said.

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Now that Jimenez is playing games again, how long before the 6-4, 205-pound Dominican slugger makes his highly anticipated debut in the majors? Will it be this season, perhaps as a September call-up?

A spot was freed in Birmingham when the Sox released outfielder Courtney Hawkins, who was their first-round draft pick in 2012. Hawkins never made it past Class AA and was hitting .120.

First time, long time

What a strange sight it was when James Shields entered the series finale Wednesday against the Athletics to pitch in the 14th inning. It was only the second relief appearance of his 13-year career, the first one having come in 2010 when he was with the Rays.

Shields got the first two outs of the inning, then walked two and allowed two hits to take the loss in a 12-11 marathon.

“It’s a tough loss,” he said. “There’s no doubt about it. These guys fought hard the whole game and showed a lot of heart and character.”

Shields was scheduled to start Friday at Guaranteed Rate Field, but — thanks to three consecutive postponements in Minneapolis on this trip — he was good to go in a game when the Sox’ bullpen was all used up.

Gonzo gone-zo?

After Carson Fulmer failed to get an out in the second inning Wednesday against the A’s, handing what would turn into a massive 12-inning job to the Sox’ bullpen — that’s not counting Shields’ work — it was hard not to wonder how long of a leash the right-hander has in the big-league rotation.

More urgently up against it, though, could be veteran righty Miguel Gonzalez. The 33-year-old was expected to help hold things together in a rotation packed with youngsters. Instead, he’s sitting at 0-3 with a 12.41 ERA.

Renteria says it’s too soon to ask if Gonzalez is pitching for his job, but those numbers won’t be tolerated for long. Gonzalez called his most recent start, in which the A’s ran him off after three-plus innings, a “tough one to swallow.”

“Just got to move on,” he said. ‘‘I’ve been in worse situations. I’ve been through tough times, but I know how to work around it and make adjustments.””

Seems like yesterday

Wednesday marked the 11^th anniversary of Sox no-hitter No. 16, thrown by Mark Buehrle against the Rangers at U.S. Cellular Field. The only opposing hitter to reach base in that game was Sammy Sosa, who walked in the fifth inning before promptly being picked off first base.