Keppinger beginning rehab assignment

CLEVELAND -- A rehab assignment for Jeff Keppinger began Friday night with Double-A Birmingham against Mobile. The veteran infielder has been on the disabled list since March 21 in his continued recovery from right shoulder surgery and has been at extended Spring Training since the team broke camp.

Keppinger's rehab will be much like that of Gordon Beckham, in that he will continue on until he can put together a string of consecutive, pain-free full games.

"I know that even when [Keppinger] was in Arizona, he was playing games, and some of them, he wouldn't make it through all of it," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "You are trying to make sure you get that consistent playing time at Double-A. You are letting him play down there and doing it over and over again, so he's in shape to be up here."

Felipe Paulino (right rotator cuff inflammation) is scheduled to make a rehab start for Triple-A Charlotte on Saturday, looking for greater effectiveness as much as full health. Third baseman Conor Gillaspie swung the bat Friday to test his previously sore left hand that landed him on the disabled list, and Ventura mentioned that Gillaspie could go on a brief rehab assignment of his own at the start of next week.

"You move that piece out there, solid contact, the balance that goes deeper in the lineup than basically we have right now," said Ventura of Gillaspie. "You miss having that piece and you want him back."