Disappointing, albeit not unexpected, loss yesterday. Given the travel situation, and the Schilling/Rheinecker matchup, I don't think many folks had the Rangers as favorites...
Kevin Mench's name continues to swirl in trade talks...New York Newsday says that the Rangers are willing to make him available, and have had talks with the Yankees about him.
In Richard Durrett's chat session yesterday, meanwhile, there is more talk about folks wanting Shea Hillenbrand to come to Texas.
As I've been saying before, I don't see the appeal of Hillenbrand...he's not a better hitter than Wilkerson and Mench, unless you want to look only at their year-to-date performances this year. And as I've pointed out before, Hillenbrand's numbers are driven by a hot start of the season...he's struggled in June and July, so it isn't like the guy would be some "white hot" addition...
But the one situation where adding Hillenbrand might make sense is if you are also trading Kevin Mench, either to get someone who can help right now, or to get more in return for him than you would give up to get Hillenbrand. A Mench/Wilkerson platoon to make room for Hillenbrand makes zero sense, but if Mench is being moved, then Hillenbrand could step in at DH.
Although I still don't see a whole lot of reason to believe that Hillenbrand would be significantly better than Jason Botts at DH, anyway.
Meanwhile, Ozzie Guillen has put Vicente Padilla on notice:
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen issued a promise to Vicente Padilla in the event the Texas pitcher intentionally hits one of his hitters Sunday, as he twice plunked A.J. Pierzynski five weeks ago.
"Believe me, if Padilla does something about it, we're going to do something about it," Guillen said before Thursday's game at Detroit. "You can count on that. I don't care if we're suspended for 100 years.
"But besides that, we're going to go out and play a pretty good ballclub, a real, real dangerous hitting ballclub, and we need to win. We have to concentrate and win games.
"But I guarantee you, if that happens, I don't know what's going to happen, but something's going to happen. Make sure they know it too. You hit people when they do something wrong, I agree with that. But you hit people because you don't like them, I don't think that's a good [way] to play the game."
Thanks for stirring that back up, Ozzie...
Evan Grant says Adam Eaton is being activated on Tuesday, after a solid rehab outing last night. I'd guess Rheinecker gets bumped, since it is his spot in the rotation that is up on Tuesday...
Jan Hubbard says Kevin Millwood is fine...there was some concern he might have hurt himself fielding the bunt on the squeeze play in his last start, but he's apparently okay.
On Thomas Diamond has gone on the d.l. for Frisco, although it is apparently a minor situation...