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ARLINGTON, Texas -- Chicago White Sox centerfielder Jordan Danks was scratched two hours before the series opener against the Texas Rangers due to a bursa sac inflammation behind the right knee.

Dewayne Wise will spell Danks, a native Texan, in centerfield and bat ninth.

White Sox manager Robin Ventura said Danks’ injury wasn’t serious.

“It was one of those decisions that we’d rather have him available off the bench than start him and have to take him out after a couple of innings,’’ the manager said.

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CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox's need to pay cash for a backup outfielder Monday brings to light all of the issues that have continued to torment highly-regarded prospect Jared Mitchell.

The former first-round draft pick, whom the White Sox continue to hold in high regard, can't seem to catch a break and the White Sox's acquisition of Casper Wells from the Oakland Athletics on Monday only seems to highlight that.

The early-season injury to Dayan Viciedo, and the fact that the team started the season with only four outfielders, has brought the White Sox's major-league ready depth into focus. On the lower levels, the White Sox have some of the most impressive outfield talent around, but when it comes to players who can jump into the major leagues now, it isn't nearly as strong.

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CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox made it official, saying John Danks will begin his minor league rehab assignment Thursday at Double-A Birmingham.

The left-hander, who had shoulder surgery in August, hasn’t pitched in a major league game since last May.

Danks pitched in spring training but started the season on the disabled list because of low velocity. He has spent the past month at extended spring training, pitching every fifth or sixth day in controlled settings. His last outing in Arizona was on Friday, although he tabbed it as not the sharpest performance.

There is no timetable on Danks’ return to the White Sox, although he hopes that with Gavin Floyd's move to the disabled list Sunday that he could be on the fast track back to the club. Danks expects to make at least two starts in minor league games, although he did admit it could be more.

CHICAGO -- Jeff Keppinger was out of the Chicago White Sox’s lineup for a third consecutive day with back spasms, but the club isn’t anticipating a stint on the disabled list.

“It looks like he’ll be good by Tuesday, for sure,” manager Robin Ventura said.

The White Sox have a day off Monday before opening a three-game series and an eight-game, three-city road trip Tuesday at Texas.

Before his back discomfort surfaced, Keppinger had started to recover from a slow start with two hits in three consecutive games.

The White Sox have already seen six players go to the disabled list this season. Keppinger would have ran that total to seven and three from the Opening Day starting lineup.

CHICAGO -- Although he didn’t know the details, John Danks still got the word he had been waiting to hear.

After nearly a month of pitching at extended spring training, the rehabbing Danks will make his next outing in a minor league game.

Danks still doesn’t know if he will be going to Double-A Birmingham or Triple-A Charlotte later this week, but simply knowing a change of pace is coming managed to lift his spirits.

“Obviously, in the scheme of things it has to be done on the field, but to graduate from Arizona [extended spring training] and get to move on, that's a good thing,” Danks said.

The left-hander had shoulder surgery Aug. 6 and hasn’t pitched in a major league game since May 19 of last year. He pitched in spring training, albeit on a cautious schedule, and started the season on the disabled list.

With Gavin Floyd now on the disabled list, Danks admitted to some extra incentive to finish up his rehab and rejoin the rotation. But if he had it his way, he would have started the season with the club despite lower velocity than he is accustomed to.

As it is, he might never reach the 94 mph range with his fastball and will have to learn the craftier side of pitching. He has said he is willing to make those adjustments.

“That was hard to watch,” Danks said about seeing Floyd leave his Saturday start early. “I don't know the extent of his injury, but we all hope he is OK. That's actually what I said [Saturday] when it happened: ‘I'm ready. I'm ready to get back out there.’ Maybe that'll move the process along a little quicker, I don't know. As far as my recovery goes, I'm on the right path.”

Calling the pace of an extended spring outing a “high-school scrimmage,” Danks just wants to get in a real game-setting again with fans in the seats, vendors walking the aisles and the smell of grilled meats in the air.

“There's going to be a couple people there and it's actually run as a game,” Danks said. “That's the big thing … It'll be fun to get out there and pitch in an atmosphere.”

CHICAGO -- As expected, Gavin Floyd was moved to the 15-day disabled list on Sunday, although there was a bit of good news when it came to the right-hander’s injury.

An MRI late Saturday night showed that Floyd had a flexor muscle strain and that there appeared to be no damage with ligaments or tendons. A precursor to Tommy John surgery would be an elbow injury with ligament damage.

Floyd had a similar injury last season that kept him out of action from Aug. 27-Sept.12. He also had elbow tendonitis that sidelined him from July 8-23.

“Last year it was a different spot,” Floyd said. “It was kind of the same thing [Saturday]. It was one pitch, and I felt it and I was like, ‘I’m going to pitch through it.’ I threw a couple more and it was just getting worse and stiffening up and I threw one to [Evan] Longoria and felt like I was babying it in there and started protecting myself. [Catcher] Tyler [Flowers] knew, and he came out and talked to me.”

The difference with his current flexor muscle strain is that he feels it more when throwing fastballs. Last season, it affected him more on curveballs.

No timetable has been set, but manager Robin Ventura thinks a mere two-week absence still isn’t out of the question. But a third elbow injury in two seasons leaves cause for concern.

“I don’t think there’s anything we are doing that’s making it happen,” Ventura said. “I think baseball makes that happen. Things happen. I don’t think it has anything to do with the way they are training. It’s just part of playing baseball. It’s not a natural act. You know hopefully they get over it quick.”

Ventura has already said that left-hander Hector Santiago will assume Floyd’s starts for now. Santiago struggled in relief of Floyd on Saturday night, giving up four runs on 109 hits in 3⅔ innings.

Assuming the White Sox don’t use Monday’s off day to skip anybody in the rotation, Santiago would be in line to start Friday at Kansas City.

Chicago White Sox right-hander Gavin Floyd left Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays in the third inning with a flexor muscle strain in his right arm.

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CHICAGO -- It’s getting to the point that you can’t spot a White Sox player without trying to figure out his latest injury.

Jeff Keppinger was not in the starting lineup Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays because of back spasms and Dewayne Wise was a late scratch because of a sore neck. The White Sox were already without starters Gordon Beckham (hand) and Dayan Viciedo (side), who are on the disabled list.

Then there is starter John Danks, who had shoulder surgery last summer, and Angel Sanchez, the utility infielder who is dealing with a strained lower back.

For a franchise that has used the least number of DL days over the past decade, it’s as if injuries are catching up to them all at once.

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CHICAGO -- While John Danks' return remains in question, Gordon Beckham said Monday that he at least has a personal timetable for getting back to the Chicago White Sox.

"If I'm not playing in the big leagues in six weeks, I'm going to be very upset, let's put it that way," said Beckham, who broke the hamate bone in his left hand April 9 and had surgery last Tuesday. "I've kind of made a mental goal that I want to be back in four.

"There are people who have done that. But I would like to be playing in four weeks and be back way before the six-week mark. But I don't know. That's just Dr. Gordon talking. He doesn't know anything what he's talking about."

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CHICAGO -- There remains no timetable on Dayan Viciedo's return from the disabled list because of an oblique strain, but perhaps the Atlanta Braves' Freddie Freeman can give clues as to how long the Chicago White Sox left fielder might be sidelined.

Freeman reportedly will come off the disabled list today after also being out of action with an oblique strain.

Everybody is different, not to mention the difference in severity of injuries, but similarities do exist. The left-handed swinging Freeman injured his right side, while the right-handed hitting Viciedo injured his left side.

Freeman felt discomfort as far back as March 31 but was still swinging a hot bat before the Braves decided to put him on the DL on April 7. That makes it exactly three weeks from the onset of the injury to his return from the DL.

Viciedo's injury was different in that he wasn't experiencing discomfort for a while before he was shut down. Not being able to play for a week before going on the DL, like Freeman did, could suggest that Viciedo's injury was more severe.

Both Freeman and Viciedo had similar reactions to their injuries with each saying they didn't think things were serious.

General manager Rick Hahn already has suggested Viciedo will spend more than 15 days on the DL. He hasn't played since Thursday, which would make him eligible to return May 4 at Kansas City. Viciedo won't even begin baseball activities until the end of the week.

Following a three-week timetable, there is a chance Viciedo could be back for the May 10-12 home series against the Los Angeles Angels. Any longer could put his return during a two-city trip that begins May 13 in Minnesota and heads to Southern California for a series against the Angels.

CHICAGO -- Chicago White Sox starting pitcher John Danks returned to the team from extended spring training and will be evaluated over the next week.

Danks, who had shoulder surgery in August 2012, has been pitching against minor league players at the White Sox spring training complex in Glendale, Ariz. since the team broke camp on March 28. In his latest outing on Saturday, Danks pitched six innings with his fastball consistently maintaining velocity levels of 88 mph.

“I am better than I was the last time I was here (two weeks ago),” Danks said on Sunday. “I am seeing improvements each time out. I am ready to get out of Arizona.”

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CHICAGO -- While reports on injured pitcher John Danks continue to be positive, the left-hander remains at extended spring training in Arizona.

Danks was scheduled for another outing Saturday and is expected to be in Chicago to meet with team personnel Sunday.

His velocity has been slowly on the rise after shoulder surgery last summer but clearly not where the White Sox would like it. He still figures to make multiple starts at Double-A or Triple-A before coming back to the White Sox, which would mean he won't return until May at the earliest.

“The reports have been good. He’s been feeling good in between, and he’s been able to do his side [sessions],” Hahn said. “He’s been able to do all his exercises, and he continues to progress.”

Dylan Axelrod has pitched well in two of his three outings after assuming a rotation spot for Danks. He gave up one run in his season debut April 6 against Seattle and gave up two runs in six innings Tuesday at Toronto. In his other outing, April 11 at Cleveland, he gave up six runs in just 3⅔ innings.

CHICAGO -- As expected, the Chicago White Sox put outfielder Dayan Viciedo on the 15-day disabled list Saturday and recalled outfielder Blake Tekotte from Triple-A Charlotte.

Viciedo was diagnosed with a left oblique strain. He injured himself on a swing Thursday night at Toronto and was immediately removed from the game.

“We’re hoping it’s two weeks,” manager Robin Ventura said. “Sometimes, those can be longer. He doesn’t necessarily have a patient or deliberate swing; it’s a violent swing. That’s the other thing. You let him go back out there and swing and it will probably be worse. You see people down for a long time.”

Viciedo continues to insist the injury isn’t serious, although he was wincing in pain immediately after he was removed from Thursday’s game.

“It’s very disappointing, but those are some of the things you can’t control,” Viciedo said through an interpreter. “I’m just going to take it one day at a time, and I’m going to work to get better so I can help the team as soon as possible.”

The power-hitting left fielder was batting .229 with a .417 slugging percentage over his first 14 games, hitting two home runs with five RBIs.

Tekotte, who was acquired in November from the San Diego Padres in exchange for pitcher Brandon Kloess, has 30 games of major league experience. The Missouri native was a third-round pick in the 2008 first-year player draft.

“[Tekotte] can run a little bit, so he could be running late, going in defensively, getting a start here and there,” Ventura said. “We’ll just have to move it around and make it work.”

CHICAGO -- As of now, the Chicago White Sox are not announcing a disabled list stint for Dayan Viciedo, who was injured while swinging at a pitch in Thursday night’s game at Toronto.

Viciedo was undergoing treatment Friday with team trainers for what is being listed as an oblique strain. He grabbed his left side immediately after swinging at a pitch in the late innings Thursday and was removed from the game. He could be seen in the dugout afterward wincing in pain.

As of now, Viciedo is listed as day to day.

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WASHINGTON -- Chicago White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham immediately knew there was a problem with his left wrist after taking a swing against Washington Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez in the second inning of Tuesday night's interleague game.

Beckham finished the at-bat by striking out and was immediately removed from the game by manager Robin Ventura. Trainers ruled that Beckham has nerve irritation in his left wrist and listed him as day-to-day.

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