Johnny Nunez Up; Lillibridge Down

While Lillibridge's stint wasn't long, you can expect to see him back in Chicago once rosters expand in September.  Lillibridge hasn't hit well at the big league level but he's made recent adjustments down in AAA (.326 Avg in July) and his versatility (plus defensive ability and plus speed) should serve the Sox well in September. 

Nunez, 23, was acquired by the White Sox this off-season when the team sent Nick Swisher to the New York Yankees. He wasn't the center-piece of the trade but he has since turned into the only worth-while piece (along with the cash-savings).  At the time, the centerpiece of the trade was Jeff Marquez, who entered training camp as a front-runner for the 5th starters spot in Chicago, but has since fallen out of the organizations plans (2-8, 9.85 ERA).

Nunez has pitched in 33 games (26 with AA Birmingham, 7 with AAA Charlotte) posting a 2.45 ERA with 67 strikeouts in 58.2 innings of work. He's also limited opposing batters to an impressiving .219 AVG.    

Scouting Report

Nunez is a quality relief prospect, who has a chance at developing into a good set-up men.  He features a plus fastball (94-96) which he combines with an average-to-good slider. The key to Nunez success at the major leauge level will be his slider.  His slider can be a good pitch when he stays on top of his delivery and if he throws it with consistency we'll see him in the White Sox pen for the next couple years.