Third to first

• White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper is going on the assumption that Saturday will be dry, despite the forecast calling for a 100 percent chance of rain per weather.com. If the game is canceled, Cooper hasn't decided yet whether scheduled starter John Danks will throw on the side or move to throwing in Sunday's game in Surprise against the Rangers.

• Infielder Jake Elmore was traded by the White Sox to the A's in exchange for cash considerations. Elmore, 26, was designated for assignment on Wednesday to make room for 24-year-old right-handed pitcher Maikel Cleto, who was with the team Thursday. Elmore was claimed off waivers from Houston on Nov. 13, 2013.

• Comcast SportsNet Chicago will celebrate the start of Spring Training by airing at 3 p.m. CT the 2013 World Baseball Classic first-round matchup between China and Cuba, which featured a dominant performance by new White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu. In that contest, Abreu went 2-for-4 with a double, a grand slam and five RBIs. The grand slam came in the fifth inning off of China's Yu Liu. Abreu hit .360 for Cuba, with three homers and nine RBIs over six games.

Friday also is the first day that individual tickets for all 2014 White Sox home games go on sale to the general public at whitesox.com.

• Ventura had a very short workout day for his players Thursday, sort of tapering for Friday's Cactus League opener.