Two White Sox relievers going on DL

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CHICAGO -- With the bullpen stretched thin by overuse and injury, the White Sox placed relievers J.J. Putz and Matt Thornton on the disabled list Wednesday and activated two pitchers.

"Thornton's out, Putz is out and we're going to add two guys," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen had said after Tuesday's 7-5 win over Baltimore. "Right now I need some guys who can go out there."

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Jerry Lai/US PresswireMatt Thornton hasn't pitched since Aug. 17 due to a sore arm.

The White Sox recalled right-hander Lucas Harrell from Triple-A Charlotte and reinstated lefty Erick Threets from the disabled list following a rehab assignment with the minor league club before Wednesday's game against Baltimore.

Thornton, an All-Star, hasn't pitched since giving up a walk-off homer to Jim Thome on Aug. 17, and was placed on the DL retroactive to Aug. 18 because of inflammation in his left elbow. He is 3-4 with a 2.66 ERA and leads AL relievers with 66 strikeouts.

Putz lasted just three pitches before leaving Tuesday's game in the ninth because of right knee tendinitis. He is 6-5 with a 2.68 ERA.

Both pitchers got MRIs on Monday for their respective injuries. Thornton had some fluid dried out from his left elbow joint after reporting soreness in his forearm. Putz had inflammation in his right patella tendon.

"I feel better today than I did yesterday," Thornton said before Tuesday's game. "That's the first time in four or five days that it feels better. They put something in to help dry up the fluid. They didn't draw anything out; they tried. They injected a little something to dry it out."

After Chris Sale pitched a perfect eighth in relief of Gavin Floyd, Sergio Santos gave up two runs in the ninth and left the game with no outs and two runners on. Putz had a 3-0 count on Ty Wigginton when he departed.

With a depleted bullpen -- including Tony Pena, who was off-limits after throwing seven innings in a spot start Saturday -- Guillen went to Bobby Jenks, who threw a season-high three innings Sunday. Jenks got Wigginton to ground into a run-scoring double play and Luke Scott to fly out to end the game.

"It's hard to go there half-naked," Guillen said of his bullpen. "I've got a couple guys I can use. The last guy I want to use is Bobby. One day off between three innings and today, that's taking a risk. But you know, I don't have any choices."

The bullpen is in the middle of a rough skid, and not getting any pitching help during a doubleheader in Kansas City on Saturday didn't help. White Sox general manager Kenny Williams said Guillen and pitching coach Don Cooper told him they didn't need reinforcements.

"It's a question I asked Ozzie and Coop, probably three days in a row when they were down in Kansas City and even when they were on the bus, because I felt like we did need to make a move," Williams said before the game.

"There are so many things to factor in; you've got to factor the conversation with [trainer] Herm [Schneider] and the doctors. ... Listen, this isn't the first time in the season where you have to ride it out sometimes and say, 'Listen, we've got to pull together and make it happen.'"

Jon Greenberg is a reporter and columnist for ESPNChicago.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Jon Greenberg

Columnist, ESPNChicago.com

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Jon Greenberg is a columnist for ESPNChicago.com. He has lived and worked in Chicago since 2003, and is a graduate of Ohio University and the University of Chicago.