Beckham close, but not back

ARLINGTON -- Gordon Beckham has four hits in 26 at-bats during his eight-game Minor League rehab assignment for Double-A Birmingham, including a go-ahead, two-run double Saturday night. Those results clearly don't matter as much as the second baseman having almost no complaints concerning the strained left oblique that left him on the disabled list to start the 2014 campaign.

"He said he's feeling fine," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura of Beckham. "It's getting better and defensively he's feeling pretty good. Offensively, whether the swing is there or not, just physically he feels pretty good. I wouldn't say it's 100 percent."

Ventura guessed at next weekend's home series against the Rays as a return date for Beckham.

"That's probably a good target day if nothing happens, talking about him being 100 percent," Ventura said. "He feels good enough to play and everything, but I don't think he feels just great. When he feels that way, you get him up here. We have four in Detroit, so hopefully he can keep playing, build that up and be ready to go after that."