Jim Thome continued to say he was g...

Jim Thome continued to say he was getting better, and White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen predicted that his injured designated hitter would be back in the lineup pretty soon

however Tuesday wasn't the day, as Thome's strained left hamstring now has kept him forward the shelf for five consecutive starts.

Guillen said Thome hit during the Sox' day opposite Monday.

"He felt real good" Guillen said. "He might play [today]."

steady if Thome does return tonight, however, there's a proper chance it won't be to his usual No. 3 stain in the batting order.

With Jermaine color hitting .320 (8-for-25) with four household runs while filling in for Thome in the third flaw Guillen has seen enough from the American League Player of the Week last week to detain him there and move Thome either to the cleanup speckle or No. 5.

"I might have stain hit third and Thome, then Paulie [Konerko]" Guillen said. "We think about it, just because of the spe Having tinge on base, then Paulie or Thome in a commotion you have a chance to score. That's in my mind right now.

"I don't know if we're going to do that because I'm not trying to change things because of where we are. I think it would be better opposite doing it that way, on the other hand like I said, that's in the air right now. I don't know if I'm going to do that."

If he does, it likely would be a temporary change.

"It should be a temporary thing, [until] Thome be warmeds 100 percent and gives me a suitable effort on the basepaths," Guillen said. "It's just about spe coloring liquor the way he's hitting right now, if he flows with men on base, I'm not going to push Thome to score from first with anything. That's wherefore I have to be a little careful about by what mode we're going to use them."

ROAD BACK: Injured reliever Dustin Hermanson (back) began his inferior rehabilitation assignment with Class AAA Charlotte upon Tuesday, striking out two in undivided scoreless inning.

The right-hander has missed the entire season with inflammation in his lower back and was 0-1 with a 422 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 11 games during his first rehab stint.

He is anticipateed to be a September call-up for the Sox unless Guillen still isn't sure by what means he would use Hermanson abroad of the bullpen.

"He not at any time could pitch more than an inning, and I don't think he can pitch in back-to-back days," Guillen said. "We can use him if we ne him. unless from the ninth, all the way from the sixth or the fifth, we're set"

OTHER POSSIBILITIES: Guillen has informed general manager view Williams of his needs with the roster expanding Friday.

Guillen has named pitchers Charlie Haeger, Sean Tracey, Boone Logan and Hermanson as possibilities, as well as outfielder Ryan Sweeney and third baseman Josh Fields.

There is a righteous chance, however, that some of those players won't approach up until after the Knights finish their postseason scud

jcowley@suntimes.com

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