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Contreras' side session Tuesday will dictate Friday's start
By Scott Merkin / MLB.com

Cliff Politte has been solid in the sixth and seventh innings this season. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty)
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OAKLAND -- With the oftentimes spectacular early efforts turned in by the White Sox starting rotation and the equally strong performances from the back end of the White Sox bullpen, it's easy for a reliever such as Cliff Politte to get bypassed in the sea of accolades.
But the hard-throwing right-hander, who has filled every role in his career from starter to closer, has found a solid home in the middle of the two glamour pitching roles on this first-place club. Politte entered Monday's series opener against Oakland with a 1.86 ERA in eight games, having fanned 13 over 9 2/3 innings, working primarily in the sixth and seventh innings.

"It's basically about feeling comfortable and adjusting my stuff," said Politte, who closed for Toronto in 2003 and started for both St. Louis and Philadelphia early in his career. "During the last few years, I've tried to be too fine and got into a little bit of trouble."

Politte found some of that same trouble during Spring Training, when his offerings were knocked around consistently in Arizona. It was more than a little troubling for the 31-year-old veteran, even during Cactus League action, as he was making his first appearance on the mound since an emergency appendectomy cut short his 2004 season by one month.

Being tough on himself, though, is a trait that has followed Politte for as long as he's been pitching.

"I know it's my nature, but I went through a point where I couldn't figure out what was going on," Politte said. "I didn't know if someone behind the plate didn't like me and was telling the hitters what was coming or they were reading my lips or just reading my mind.

"It was like everything thrown up there was hit. It was frustrating. You get to a point where you want to know what you are doing wrong and then you start questioning your ability and your stuff."

But once the adrenaline of the regular season kicked in, Politte has been more than ready for the challenge. He credits new catcher A.J. Pierzynski for having him do things he didn't do in 2004, such as pitching inside more to lefties and throwing more breaking balls.

While his current role falls in the less glamorous middle category, Politte seems ready for anything manager Ozzie Guillen throws at him. He would not be against giving closing another try.

"Knowing what I know about closing, it would be different," Politte said. "I've done this for a couple of years, pitching the sixth, seventh and a little bit of the eighth. I'm just rolling with it and not trying to think about it."

Volume business: White Sox athletic trainer Herm Schneider delivered a seemingly positive update prior to Monday's series opener in Oakland, in regards to the myriad weekend maladies afflicting the South Siders.

Schneider worked on ball drills with starting pitcher Jose Contreras in the clubhouse, flipping an oddly shaped device to the left and right of the big right-hander, testing Contreras' agility to all sides, as he tried to grab it. Contreras appears on track to make Friday's home start against Detroit, after leaving Saturday's game in Kansas City early when he suffered a strained lower right hamstring.

Contreras still needs to throw on the side Tuesday, according to Guillen, before being completely cleared. If Contreras can't make the start, the White Sox could push the rotation up one day because of off-days on Thursday and Monday. Orlando 'El Duque' Hernandez would get the start Friday.

If Contreras were placed on the disabled list, then Brandon McCarthy would get the call from Triple-A Charlotte. McCarthy increased his International League-leading strikeout total to 29 by fanning eight over six innings on Sunday, as he picked up his first victory.

Pierzynski and reliever Dustin Hermanson both were available Monday night. Pierzynski was hit by a pitch in his right foot Saturday night, leading to a sore toe, while Hermanson had been sidelined by muscle spasms in his back.

"His history shows that he's apt to get muscle spasms in his back," said Schneider of Hermanson. "A.J. was available [Sunday]. He's a gamer."

Frustrating stalemate: No news is far from good news where Frank Thomas' on-going recovery is concerned. According to Schneider, Thomas is not much closer to returning than when he first arrived in Tucson back in early March because of his continued inability to run without pain.

The cortisone shot Thomas received two weeks ago in a sore tendon in his surgically repaired left ankle quieted things down a little but didn't do much otherwise in terms of improvement.

"He ran one day, and then he's sore for three," Schneider said of Thomas. "What does that tell you?

"That's why I told you guys there's no timetable. I'm not lying to you. He's just not ready. It's very frustrating because nothing else bothers him."

Schneider said that Thomas' ankle felt good on Monday for the first time since he ran on Friday.

"Just keep plugging away," Schneider said of continued treatment on Thomas. "We have a couple of more tricks in our basket that we will try when we get home, but we have to wait until we get home to try them. We are trying everything we can for him."

Down on the farm: Casey Rogowski had three hits, three runs scored and two stolen bases during Double-A Birmingham's 5-2 victory at Montgomery on Sunday. Jerry Owens added three hits, and Bobby Jenks picked up his seventh save.

Three hits from Thomas Collaro improved his average to .474 over the last nine games and helped Class A Winston-Salem claim a 7-3 victory over Potomac. Daniel Haigwood struck out seven over 5 2/3 scoreless innings. Brian Anderson fell a single short of the cycle during Charlotte's victory, scoring three runs and driving in three.

Coming soon: Tuesday's contest not only features the best pitching matchup of the three-game series but also might be the best mound battle in baseball this week. Mark Buehrle gets the call for the White Sox, trying to stretch his consecutive starts streak in which he has worked at least six innings to 33, while Rich Harden opposes the crafty left-hander. Guillen referred to Harden on Monday as the best pitcher the White Sox faced during Spring Training.