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Rangers-White Sox Preview

May 9, 2009 - 4:52 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Texas (15-13) at Chicago (13-14), 7:05 p.m. EDT

While the Texas Rangers are close to having one All-Star return to their lineup, another may be forced to miss some time due to injury.

The surging Rangers could be without Michael Young on Saturday night in the continuation of their road series against the slumping Chicago White Sox.

The five-time All-Star is batting .328 with seven homers for the AL West-leading Rangers (16-13), but left in the fifth inning of a 6-0 win on Friday due to lower back stiffness. Young, who shifted from shortstop to third base this season and had his 11-game hitting streak snapped, is listed as day-to-day.

Young's injury came hours after Texas learned slugger Josh Hamilton (bruised ribs) could be activated from the disabled list as early as Tuesday versus Seattle. An All-Star last season, Hamilton is hitting just .242 with two homers and 10 RBIs in 18 games.

Though Texas is 8-3 since Hamilton went down, being without both might hinder a club that's won six of its last seven, and is among the AL leaders in runs (166) and batting average (.282).

"(We're) a team," manager Ron Washington told the Rangers' official Web site. "We mainly concern ourselves with what we have here, not with what we don't have."

On Friday, Ian Kinsler and Omar Vizquel each drove in a pair of runs, and Matt Harrison pitched a four-hitter for his second career complete game. Texas has won three in a row against Chicago after taking two of three at home last weekend. The White Sox (13-15) have lost five of six.

Kinsler is batting .325 with nine homers with 27 RBIs, and is 6 for 14 with seven RBIs against the White Sox this season.

Kinsler also is 4 for 11 versus Chicago's scheduled starter and former Rangers prospect John Danks (2-2, 3.81 ERA). He hit a leadoff homer against Danks in Texas' 5-1 victory Sunday.

Danks allowed five runs and 10 hits in 5 1-3 innings in that contest to fall to 1-2 with a 5.30 ERA against the team that selected him in the first round of the 2003 draft and traded him to the White Sox in December 2006, before ever making a major-league appearance.

"It's always been just another start," Danks said.

The left-hander has given up 10 runs in 9 1-3 innings of his last two starts after yielding two in 19 innings of his first three overall this season.

"My job description is to give us a chance to win and give us innings," he told the White Sox's official Web site. "I've done neither in either of the last two starts. I'm going to have to bounce back."

The Rangers counter with Kevin Millwood (3-2, 2.78), who allowed five runs and eight hits without walking a batter in 7 1-3 innings of a 6-5 win at Seattle on Monday.

The right-hander, who is among the major league leaders with 45 1-3 innings pitched, is 1-4 with a 3.23 ERA in nine starts against Chicago.

The White Sox were shut out for the second time in four games Friday, one day after beating Detroit 6-0 to snap a four-game losing streak.

Paul Konerko went 0 for 3 after recording two hits and two RBIs against the Tigers. Konerko is batting .429 (9 for 21) against Millwood.

Jim Thome, batting .195 and 0 for 14 in his last four contests, is 4 for 6 with three homers and six RBIs versus the Rangers starter.