Jake Peavy to Start Saturday

When White Sox general manager Kenny Williams pulled off a late shocker minutes before the MLB trade deadline back on July 31 to land injured starter Jake Peavy, he had two motives in mind. One was that adding Peavy, who is signed through 2012 with a club option for 2013, to his team's rotation leaves the White Sox set to contend in the AL Central for years to come. The other was that should Peavy be able to return from his ankle injury quick enough, he might be able to help the White Sox reach the playoffs this season.

Well, seeing as how it's the middle of September and the White Sox are 5 1/2 games behind the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central, it's probably too late for Peavy to make a playoff push. Still, the team isn't giving up and White Sox fans can get a sneak peak at the team's future this Saturday in Chicago when Peavy makes his White Sox debut.

''Yeah, how about that?'' Peavy said. ''I'm going to make a start.

'I'm going to get out there and compete. I expect to win on Saturday, and we'll have a few more starts and put to bed hopefully all this injury stuff or whatever it is, and I'll show up and be ready to go for next spring training.

''Stranger things have happened, and if the Sox get to the postseason, I'll be fine and ready for that as well.''

I wouldn't hold my breath on those playoff hopes, but at least Peavy's long anticipated return will give White Sox fans something to be excited about over the last few weeks. It's been pretty frustrating for both Peavy and the Sox as they've awaited his return.

Peavy was on track to return a few weeks ago but after taking a line drive off of his throwing arm in a rehab start his debut was pushed back. Then when Peavy reported no soreness in his arm at all after a bullpen session in Anaheim over the weekend in which Jake held nothing back, the team decided it was time to send him out to the mound.

If nothing else letting Peavy get some starts at US Cellular Field -- a park quite different from Petco Park -- will at least get him acclimated to his new surroundings before next season starts, and who knows, maybe the Sox will shock the world and reach the playoffs.

Yes, they're 5 1/2 games behind Detroit, but they do have six games left against the Tigers. As Peavy said, stranger things have happened.

Related: The White Sox released Bartolo Colon, out with elbow inflammation since July, on Wednesday.