In the series finale against the Cubs on Wednesday night, Chicago White Sox manager Robin Ventura sat struggling third baseman Orlando Hudson down for the night and replaced him with Eduardao Escobar. After the game Ventura called the move a "mental break" for Hudson, but he has produced an awful .167/.253/.282 triple-slash batting line over 88 plate appearances since joining the White Sox and it could easily be termed a merit-based benching as well. Ventura did say Hudson will likely return to the starting lineup on Friday, but Hudson has made some costly defensive errors of late as well, including a throwing error on Tuesday night to set up a critical two-run inning for the Cubs:
"I [messed] it up. I lost the game for the man, that's it,'' Hudson said. "The man [Jake Peavy] threw a hell of a game. I lost it for him. Point-blank. Case closed. We lost. My bad. That's it."
(quotes via Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times).
White Sox general manager Ken Williams picked up Hudson off the scrap heap earlier this season after Brent Morel got off to a terrible start to the season and migrated to the disabled list with a back injury. Escobar hasn't been much better at the plate this year (.190/.299/.241), so Chicago may have to look elsewhere for a starting third baseman if they hope to remain in the AL Central race in the second half of the season.
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