With eight games to play and a half game lead in the AL Central race, Chicago manager Robin Ventura and his staff are optimizing the White Sox rotation to give the team its best shot at making the playoffs. Reliever Hector Santiago will start against Cleveland on Wednesday to give the starters a break.
Since a play-in game for the division title is very possible, Santiago's start will give Chris Sale an extra day of rest. With Jake Peavy slotted in for Thursday, Gavin Floyd on Friday and Sale on Saturday, any play-in game will require Ventura to decide if he starts Floyd on four days' rest or Sale, his ace, with only three days between starts.
Southpaw Jose Quintana faced two batters in Chicago's 4-3 loss on Tuesday. Quintana, the team's fifth starter, is expected to be the long man in relief should any starters be forced to leave early in this last week of the season.