Ozzie Guillen fired a warning shot after Tuesday's loss to Kansas City, and on Wednesday he grounded a "Missile.''
With Jayson Nix giving himself a chance at the plate these days and second-year player Alexei Ramirez looking completely lost with a bat in his hand, the White Sox manager made his first lineup change, starting Nix at short.
When asked if it was just a rest for Ramirez - aka "The Cuban Missile'' - Guillen was adamant in pointing out it wasn't.
"It's not a rest, it's not a rest,'' Guillen said. "I always tell my players give yourself a chance, get good at-bats, but when you see one at-bat after another, after another, after another, and no results, no adjustments - we talked to Alexei a few times, I don't mind 0-for-4, I don't mind struggle, I don't mind a slump. But how you are in that slump, do something about it. I need some offense, and that's why I'm going to put Nix out there.''
Guillen was then asked if it was short-term, and couldn't give an answer. It would seem that Ramirez and Nix will supply him with that answer in the next few games.
"I'm not going to say he's in the doghouse, I'm not going to say I'm punishing him for that, but I want to let people know, not just him, we have to play as a team and we have to see people on the field that can help us,'' Guillen added.