CHICAGO -- Tyler Saladino stood up and moved around Friday with relatively little pain, which doesn't seem like much of an accomplishment for an individual who has played so well for the White Sox this season across the infield and most recently at second base.
In comparison to how Saladino's balky back felt last weekend in Cleveland, those little movements stand as a huge improvement.
"It was kind of crippling for a little bit. Those first few days, I really was out of commission," Saladino said. "I kind of was just trying to find a comfortable spot and stay there.
"Standing up, it would catch. It was pretty painful. That's how I knew it was a little bit more. Actually it happened when I was out on the field and after that, any basic moment was enough. Now I'm able to walk around, move around and do all kinds of stuff as far as being here and getting around."
Saladino suffered a herniated disk on his right side, but pointed to more of the middle of his lower back as the issue. He received an epidural on Monday and said the medicine in the shot has started to help.
As of this point, there doesn't seem any worry concerning the team's potential starting second baseman for 2017 needing any sort of back surgery.
"See how that is in a couple of weeks," Saladino said. "We are obviously keeping an eye on it every day, but they say it can take a full couple of weeks for [the epidural] to fully do its course. As of now, it's feeling better. So just keeping up with [White Sox head athletic trainer] Herm [Schneider] and the docs and setting the game-plan for these few days and going forward each day.
This 2016 campaign has been a breakout performance for the 27-year-old, proving he can be a valuable utility player as well as an everyday force at one position. Saladino would like nothing more than to be part of the final weekend, but where back pain is concerned, the White Sox are definitely erring on the side of caution.
"As long as I can play and even pinch run, I would be stoked to be with the guys," said Saladino, who last played on Sept. 21 in Philadelphia. "But at this point, you have to take care of it.
"It was a lot of fun to be out there with the guys. The whole season was a roller coaster for everybody around here. The whole approach we've had all year of grinding every game was its own. They're still doing a really good job right now."