Sox put Putz, Thornton on DL
Just a few short weeks ago, I'd have called the White Sox the favorite to win the AL Central, and pointed to their bullpen (and its superiority to Minnesota's pen) as the primary reason.
Matt Thornton and J.J. Putz weren't closing at the time, but they were still Nos. 1 and 2 on my list of reasons the Sox bullpen was probably the best in baseball. Since they, they've struggled and battled nagging injuries. Today, just hours after Putz had to leave after three ninth-inning pitches because his knee was bothering him, the Sox placed both relievers on the disabled list.
It's a big blow for manager Ozzie Guillen as he tries to make up 3 1/2 games on the Twins with a push this week against the Orioles and the Yankees. It means Bobby Jenks will almost certainly get all of the save chances going forward. Jenks has been better lately - he bailed Putz and Sergio Santos out big time last night - but he's struggled way too much in 2010 to be called reliable.
It also means that Santos must serve as the primary setup man in the heat of a pennant race despite the fact that he's only been pitching for a matter of months. Chris Sale becomes the team's top left-handed option, and Tony Pena and Scott Linebrink are going to take on more integral roles.
Suddenly it's not a question of whether the Sox have the best bullpen in the American League or in all of baseball but one of whether they've got the best bullpen in Chicago. Considering the bullpen is the weakest component of an awful Cubs team, that's not good for the Sox.
