Updates, Notes, and Such

1.) How could I not talk about today's sad news regarding Francisco Liriano first? I (and every other Twins fan out there) was incredibly excited about the return of the Frisco Kid, especially after he threw three pain-free pitches for Rochester on Saturday. I believed that the injury was an aberration, and that things would be fine from here on out. I was obviously wrong. But you know what? The Twins have continued to win (forget about today) despite not having Liriano or Radke in the rotation. Liriano would have been a great addition, but this team looks to be a playoff team even without him. The season isn't over, there is no reason to despair. I think a little bit of disappoint is perfectly in order, however.

2.) Bobby Jenks has appeared in 4 games for the White Sox since September 4. In those games, he's 0-1 with 1 save . . . and 2 blown saves. He's allowed at least 1 ER in each of those games, and his ERA over that stretch is sitting at 17.42 (wowsers). Now, I'm not saying Jenks is a bad pitcher. He has 40 saves this season, and he's got good stuff. But if I'm Ozzie Guillen or a White Sox fan, I'm awfully worried that his psyche is a bit messed up because of what's happened over the past 10 days. The entire White Sox bullpen has been a trouble spot, and the Sox just don't look like a great team right now.

3.) Matt Guerrier pitched OK yesterday, and now that Liriano is probably out for the season, he seems likely to get a few more starts. My guess now? Garza will return to Liriano's spot in the rotation, and Guerrier will start until Radke is ready to come back at the end of the season for a start or two. If Radke can't take the ball again, then Guerrier will stay in the rotation. I think the Twins are done giving Baker starts this season, but he should get a chance again in the spring.

4.) AAA Playoff Update: Mike Smith pitched remarkably well for Rochester last night, giving up just 1 ER on 4 H's in 7 innings of work. The bullpen, however, let him down. Beau Kemp allowed 4 ER's in just 1/3 of an inning, and took the game 1 loss. Terry Tiffee was the offensive player of the day for Rochester, going 3-for-4. Unfortunately, it didn't matter, and the Red Wings find themselves in a hole going into game 2 of the series tonight.

5.) This was probably clear after his most recent injury, but I thought I'd finally update the Rondell White situation, and pretty much put the nail in the coffin of his vesting option. White needed 400 plate appearances this season for his option to vest for next year. He has 305 PA's, with 19 games remaining. That means White would need to start every game and pick up 5 PA's per game, and clearly that isn't going to happen. I don't think you'd need three guesses to figure out whether White will be back next year.