Forget 1st start, Peavy feeling good

Not once was he asked about his health, how his arm felt, how his shoulder felt.

It was a first for Peavy since joining the White Sox in the middle of 2009. And he was well aware of the meaning, which he shared with pitching coach Don Cooper.

"I told Coop that this is the first time I'm free from that," Peavy said after giving up three runs in three innings during a 4-0 loss to the Padres. "(Health) is not in the back of my head,"

Since coming to the Sox with an injured ankle during a highly-publicized trade, Peavy not only has come back from that but a sore arm, a tired arm and a rare surgery for a detached lat muscle.

Now, for the first time, he feels like he is coming down the hill instead of puffing his way up.

He has become a regular pitcher who can talk about results of the day instead of long-term hopes. If there is any hope now, it's that Peavy can move closer to his 2007 Cy Young form with the Padres.

"I feel as healthy as I've felt for a long time," Peavy said. "What it translates into, who knows? But it's a nice place to be compared to last year when you're wondering if you'll come close to being the same guy (as years past).

"It was nice to go into the training room and be normal, just for a cooldown."

It's a pleasant sight for manager Robin Ventura, who hasn't been in the Sox clubhouse for most of the Peavy drama of the last few seasons.

"He hasn't been tentative at all," Ventura said. "He knows how to work and get his pitches in, but health-wise this year is a lot different for him. I don't look at it as though we have questions of health."

So Peavy can now talk about results, which didn't have him fretting after he was rapped around by the Padres on Sunday. He allowed three runs on five hits in the first two innings before pitching a perfect third inning.