The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MICHIGAN IN THE PROS MLB ZACH PUTNAM TO DL AND BACK AGAIN Former Michigan pitcher and cur- rent Chicago reliever Zach Putnam found a home in the White Sox bull- pen this year, even seeing time as the team's on-occasion closer. Soreness in his right shoulder sent him to the 15-day disabled list July 24, however, just after the All-Star break and fol- lowing a one-inning performance against Kansas City. Right shoulder inflammation made it "very uncomfortable," he said. "I was hoping it wouldn't have to go this route but … we'll see if it makes a difference," Putnam told The Chicago Tribune of his DL stint. Putnam had been one of the team's top relievers since being called up from Triple-A Charlotte April 17. He was 3-2 with a 2.35 ERA, three saves and a team-leading 12 holds in 33 relief appearances. The rest helped him. He returned after pitching one scoreless rehab stint with Charlotte. "I'm champing at the bit," Putnam said of his imminent return. "I felt real good. The velocity was up a little bit, but most important, the shoulder felt good." White Sox manager Robin Ventura was thrilled to have his reliever back. "You look at teams that are in it every year, they usually have a pretty good bullpen," Ventura said. "That's part of being able to save … your starters, but being able to mix and match with the bullpen, too. You are seeing different guys come in and pick up the slack. That's what you are seeing when a bullpen is in sync. It's not the same guys every night." That camaraderie and support was a big reason for his success, Putnam added. "Given the youth of the pen, guys are learning from each other, and I include myself in that," Putnam said. "It's us trying to get better, taking the ups and the downs and trying to take something from every outing, whether it's a good one or a bad one. Try to take something going into the next outing, watch what other guys do and try and learn from that." Putnam pitched one hitless, score- less inning in a 4-1 loss at Seattle Aug. 8 to lower his ERA to 2.29. The NBA FORMER WOLVERINES ENJOY USA BASKETBALL EXPERIENCE When Trey Burke was offered the chance to play for the USA Basketball Select Team, he didn't hesitate. Though it added to his busy summer, one that included playing on the Utah Jazz summer league team, he considered it an honor. "It was a great experience," he told the Detroit Free Press. "I was honored to get the opportunity to play against those guys and get them prepared to play for the national team. What I wanted to get out of it was the experience part. A lot of people don't experience it that young in their careers." Burke averaged 12.8 points, a team-