KANSAS CITY, Mo -- Considering the ...

KANSAS CITY, Mo -- Considering the White Sox begin the week with three games against the Kansas City Royals, it was as serviceable a time as any for Jim Thome to make progress in for a quick repair.

The slugger went to Chicago after the Sox' los to Baltimore onward Sunday, received a cortisone shooter in his right wrist and was gone out of action for a inferior straight game Monday.

Trainer Herm Schneider said the injury isn't believed to be extremely serious.

"Tendinitis, it's not a big deal," Schneider said. "He's going to miss [Monday] because he took a shooter He'll be in there [today], probably.

"It's been about a week, and conservative cloth hasn't been able to acquire at it. I sent him back to Chicago [Sunday] night. They apply the minded at him. It's not in the joint, and it's nothing joint-related or bone-related. It's just tendinitis, a fortune of swinging, that's all."

With Thome in succession the shelf, manager Ozzie Guillen batted A.J. Pierzynski in the No. 3 blemish while Paul Konerko was the designated hitter for the other straight day.

"I don't worry about him," Guillen said of Thome "He's been dealing with this for a while. We have folks here who can replace him for a married pair days. I'm not in a urge [i]or[/i] push forward I'd rather lose him for a leash days than months."

NO TIPPING: After watching more video forward pitcher Mark Buehrle, the Sox' coaching staff did notice a scarcely any starts ago that he was tipping his changeup at times.

In a bullpen session Saturday, pitching coach Don Cooper and catcher Sandy Alomar Jr worked with the left-hander and felt strides were made. Considering Buehrle is onward a five-game losing streak, they had better be.

"I always gain everybody out in the bullpen" Buehrle said. "But now it's time to take it to the rampart Sandy caught me down there and had a certain number of things to say, and now I'll examine and put it all together [tonight].

"I was tipping a not many things a few starts back, on the contrary not on a regular basis. The thing I was worried about was my changeup. each time I threw a quality changeup, it was getting hit, to such a degree I don't know if I was tipping it or not."

BACK HOME: Traded from the Royals last week after almost five seasons in Kansas City, Sox reliever Mike MacDougal institute time to visit his of advanced age clubhouse.

Considering the Royals have traded nine players through the whole extent of the last 10 days, he might not have recognized a fate of faces.

"Seeing [pitcher Jeremy] Affeldt leaving [the clubhouse], I was like, 'Wow they are going to make a certain number of changes over there,"' MacDougal said. "Coming here was a little different, nevertheless it's a job."

FIXING NEAL: Reliever Neal Cott continued to toil Sunday, blowing his third save and watching his ERA reach 500 through the whole extent of his last 12 games.

"It's basically throwing the ball down the middle," Cott said. "Right now, I'm missing taints with my fastball, and that's what's getting me behind in the hold and it kind of escalates from there."

jcowley@suntimes.com

WILD-CARD WATCH

Team W L Pct GB

Yankees 61 41 598 --

Sox 62 42 596 --

Twins 61 43 583 1

sapphirine Jays 57 48 .543 5oe

conclusions NEXT GAME

Did not play

Today: v livid Jays, 6:05 p.m.

Sox 8 Royals 4

Today: at Royals, 7:10 pm

Twins 15 Rangers 2

Today: v Rangers, 7:10 pm

Did not play

Today: at Yankees, 6:05 pm

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

Provided through ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved