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Plenty of time for Belisario to get ready when he arrives

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Although the White Sox would prefer to have offseason acquisition Ronald Belisario in camp by now, the reliever's absence caused by visa issues in Venezuela isn't causing too much distress to general manager Rick Hahn just yet.

"You have to keep in mind we're dealing with a relief pitcher," Hahn said. "He just needs to get stretched out to one inning, maybe two, by the end of camp."

As an example, Hahn pointed to last spring when Jesse Crain was sidelined for much of camp with a strained right adductor but still wound being on the Opening Day roster after appearing in just four Cactus League games.

"My understanding from his representatives is that he has been throwing down there, so once he gets here we'll get going on that process, but it's not that long of a process," Hahn said. "There's more than enough time left in camp to get a relief pitcher ready."

Belisario, who signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the White Sox in December, has gone through immigration issues in the past with the Dodgers. The most recent incident occurred in 2012, when he was detained in Miami after spending the All-Star break in Venezuela.

"It's not entirely unexpected," Hahn said. "There are multiple appointments and thresholds that need to be met. He's still not all the way through.

"It's certainly not something that's in our control, but it's something that we hope will come to a resolution in the coming days. I don't have a timeframe that I'm able to share right now, but I do know there has been some progress."

Tyler Emerick is an associate reporter for MLB.com.
Read More: Chicago White Sox, Ronald Belisario