CLEVELAND (AP) - Jake Peavy went from starting to sitting _ and still waiting.
Chicago’s coveted right-hander had his scheduled outing against the Indians pushed back one day by the White Sox, who may trade the right-hander before Wednesday’s 4 p.m. deadline.
Peavy was supposed to start Tuesday’s game, but the White Sox scratched him amid trade rumblings and recalled rookie Andre Rienzo, who will make his major league debut and is the first Brazilian to pitch in the majors.
“I’m playing the waiting game,” Peavy said. “I’m right here right now. That’s all I can say and all I can do until there’s something official.”
At this point, the White Sox have not announced a deal for Peavy, who could be headed toward a contender, just as he was when the White Sox acquired him from San Diego in 2009. Boston and Oakland are among the teams most interested in Peavy, who is 8-4 with a 4.28 ERA in 13 starts this season.
As he wonders about his future, Peavy joined Chicago’s other pitchers in doing their daily stretching, cardio work and throwing before the last-place White Sox played the second game of a four-game series against Cleveland. For the second day in a row, Peavy politely answered reporter’s questions as the clock ticked toward Wednesday’s deadline.
He’s prepared for anything, everything or nothing.
“I’m not going to be shocked, overwhelmed or blown away,” Peavy said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what the next 24 hours, or not even that, play out.”
Peavy said he understands why the White Sox would delay his start, to reduce any chance of injury and so any team that might acquire him could have him pitch as soon as possible.
In the meantime, he’ll wait just as he did in 2009 before the Padres struck a deal just before the deadline.
“It’s not a lot fun of what we do, but it’s part of what we do,” Peavy said. “You have to take everything in stride. My dad said it best _ you can’t sit around and worry about things you have no control over. You can’t get worked up over things you have no say-so, whether it’s going to rain or not going to rain. What’s going to happen is going to happen.”
The White Sox, who are 23 games under .500 for the first time since 2007, may have other deals in mind. On Monday, they traded reliever Jesse Crain to Tampa for future considerations.
While they continue to listen to offers for Peavy, the White Sox will get a chance to evaluate Rienzo, one of the club’s top pitching prospects.
The 25-year-old, who has a fastball clocked consistently in the mid-90s, leads the International League in strikeouts. In his last six starts, he’s 3-2 with a 1.47 ERA and 42 strikeouts. On July 25, he threw a seven-inning no-hitter against Indianapolis with a career-high 11 strikeouts.
To make room for Rienzo, the White Sox optioned outfielder Blake Tekotte to Charlotte.
The Indians have never faced Rienzo, but Cleveland catcher Yan Gomes knows him well after being teammates with him for Brazil in the World Baseball Classic this winter.
Gomes described Rienzo as a “high-energy guy.”
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