PITTSBURGH — Assistant general manager Josh Barfield said he is still unsure about whether the White Sox will be active before the trade deadline July 31.
‘‘There’s a lot of teams right now that are teetering on the line of buying or selling,’’ Barfield said. ‘‘As we get closer to the deadline, we’ll have a better idea of just how active we will be.’’
A lot of chatter surrounds center fielder Luis Robert Jr., whom the Sox are hoping can boost his value before the deadline. But right-hander Adrian Houser also might have some value. Though he wasn’t at his best in his start Saturday, allowing three runs in a season-low 4 1/3 innings, he has proved he can be a consistent innings-eater for pitching-needy teams.
Dealing Houser would leave an opening in the Sox’ starting rotation, but Barfield said he isn’t as concerned about that as he would have been earlier in the season. Left-hander Martin Perez, who hasn’t pitched since April 18 because of tightness in his left forearm, is nearing a return and threw a bullpen session Saturday.
The Sox also recently promoted former All-Star right-hander Noah Syndergaard to Triple-A Charlotte. They’re confident in his stuff, even at 32, and he’s scheduled to start for the Knights this week.
Finding a way to get innings out of starters will be important for the Sox in the last couple of months of the season. Outside of right-hander Aaron Civale and Houser, the rotation is filled with pitchers who don’t have much experience.
Smith’s recovery timeline
All-Star right-hander Shane Smith, whom the Sox put on the 15-day injured list Saturday, said he sprained his ankle when he was decelerating during team workouts Thursday and wasn’t paying attention.
He said he doesn’t think he needed a stint on the IL.
‘‘If I had my pick, I’d like to see what it feels like in the next couple of days,’’ he said. ‘‘But it’s not up to me.’’
Smith said that he fractured his ankle in high school but that this sprain doesn’t seem too severe.
‘‘I didn’t play catch [Saturday], so we’re going to see what it feels like [Sunday] — obviously under the stipulations of the training staff,’’ he said before the Sox’ 7-2 victory against the Pirates. ‘‘It’s really just the landing that’s the biggest thing, making sure I’m not getting on the outside of my foot. We’ll see what it feels like.’’
Tauchman to the river
Outfielder/designated hitter Mike Tauchman had quite the series against the Pirates. He had a game-changing double in the Sox’ 10-4 victory Saturday and punctuated the weekend with a
429-foot home run Sunday that reached the Allegheny River.
He became the first Sox player since Hall of Famer Jim Thome in 2006 to hit a homer into the river.
‘‘He’s got a little more thump than me, but it’s cool,’’ said Tauchman, who finished 2-for-3 with three RBI. ‘‘It was fun. It was a good day for the offense, a good day for the team.’’