White Sox Pitcher John Danks To Rehab With Barons

The Birmingham Barons and Chicago White Sox have announced that LHP John Danks will make a rehab start for the Barons during the team's Thursday, May 2nd home game at Regions Field against the Chattanooga Lookouts. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM CDT.

Danks, a staple in the White Sox rotation since making his Major League debut in 2006, was placed on the disabled list on May 25th, 2012 with a left shoulder strain. That injury turned out to be season ending as he underwent surgery on August 6th and was placed on the 60-day disabled list on August 8th. Thursday's start will mark his first live-game action since a rehab start with Class AAA Charlotte on June 12th, 2012. Danks was 3-4 with a 5.70 ERA (34 ER/53.2 IP) in nine starts during the 2012 season prior to his injury.

Danks (28) has posted a career record of 57-60 with an ERA of 4.12 (445 ER/971.1 IP) and 744 strikeouts in 159 starts over six Major League seasons, all with the White Sox. His 744 strikeouts rank fifth in White Sox history for a pitcher in his first six seasons with the team. He is one of two pitchers in White Sox history (Tommy Thomas, 1926-31) to make at least 25 starts in each of his first five seasons (2007-11). He's also one of just four pitchers (Mark Buehrle, Jose Contreras and Chris Sale) to make an Opening Day start for the White Sox from 2002-13 and was the 25th left-hander in franchise history to do so.

A native of Austin, TX, Danks was originally drafted by the Texas Rangers in the first round (ninth overall) of the June 2003 First-Year Player draft. He was traded to the White Sox along with pitchers Nick Masset and Jacob Rasner in exchange for pitcher Brandon McCarthy and outfielder David Paisano on December 23, 2006.

After going 6-13 with a 5.50 ERA (85 ER/139.0 IP) in his first season with the White Sox in 2007, Danks burst onto the scene during his sophomore campaign, going 12-9 with a 3.32 ERA (72 ER/195.0 IP) in 33 starts. That season, he helped get the White Sox into the post-season earning the win in the team's one-game playoff against the Minnesota Twins on September 30, allowing two hits over 8.0 scoreless innings in the team's 1-0 win. He also earned the win in game three of the ALDS that season against the Tampa Bay Rays, allowing three runs over 6.2 innings while striking out seven.

Danks won 13 games in 2009 and set career-highs in 2010 with 15 wins, 213.0 IP and 162 strikeouts. It marked his second consecutive season with at least 10 wins, 30 starts and 200.0 IP.