Levine: White Sox Set Rotation, Mull Dunn Or Konerko For Opener
By Bruce Levine-
(CBS) Behind lefty ace Chris Sale, the White Sox on Tuesday announced the remainder of their pitching rotation. Righty Felipe Paulino will start the second game, and he'll be followed in the rotation by left-hander Jose Quintana, righty Erik Johnson and lefty John Danks.
"We break up our lefties this way," Chicago manager Robin Ventura said. "We feel comfortable going with the way we set it and where they are at, to slide in those spots."
Sale will get his second straight Opening Day start next Monday against the Twins, who will counter with Ricky Nolasco. Only Sale and Quintana remain from the opening rotation of 2013 for the White Sox.
Danks started 2013 rehabbing his still weak shoulder in the minor leagues. Johnson was in the White Sox minor league system, and Paulino was working back from elbow ligament surgery in 2012.
Konerko or Dunn?
After a quiet spring training, the battle for at-bats will begin on Opening Day between Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko at designated hitter. Ventura hinted Tuesday that he was leaning toward starting Konerko at DH a right-hander in Nolasco starting for the Twins.
Dunn and Konerko will share the position most of the 2014 season. Konerko has said he's ready to accept a lesser role. Dunn's in the last year of a long-term contract will earn $16 million this season.
Ventura has the luxury of Dunn having told Konerko he was content with the platoon before Konerko agreed to return for a final season.
"It is a possibility," Ventura said when asked about Konerko getting the Opening Day nod in his last season on the team." We are thinking about that."
Konerko is entering his 16th and last season has the second-longest tenure with one team. Derek Jeter entering his 20th season in New York.
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
