White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper reports Jake Peavy is throwing off the mound in his recovery from right shoulder surgery, the Chicago Tribune's Mark Gonzales writes.

"It's going well," Cooper told Gonzales. "He's feeling better about his command."

Peavy was originally not supposed to start throwing off the mound until spring training began next month, but he's ahead of schedule despite feeling some "normal stiffness and rustiness at times."

Peavy's status will dictate whether 2010 draft pick Chris Sale starts the season in the rotation or in the bullpen. Sale appeared in 21 games after being called up in August and struck out 32 in 23 1/3 innings. He was 2-1 with a 1.93 ERA in 21 appearances.

"Everybody's got to be ready," Cooper said of his relievers. "Let's face it. From the seventh inning on, everyone's got to be on their toes, not knowing who we're going to choose. I want them to be mentally acute."

-- C. Trent Rosecrans

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Chris Sale went from Florida Gulf Coast University to the big leagues in the same season, coming up as a reliever for the White Sox in August after being drafted with the 13th overall pick in June's draft.

He's now looking at making the White Sox rotation next season.

"I feel strong enough to do this," Sale told the Chicago Tribune 's Mark Gonzales on Wednesday. "I shouldn't have to gain 30 pounds."

Gonzales writes that Sale has started a conditioning program to help his stamina and strengthen his legs. The left-hander is 6-foot-6 and 175 pounds, but says he doesn't want to feel like he has to put on much weight to start every dive days.

"I'm not going to get caught up on how big I can get," Sale said. "I want to make sure I'm in shape to start by the start of spring training."

Sale threw 103 innings in college in 2010 and 33 2/3 as a pro in the minors and majors last season.

The White Sox, though, aren't yet set on starting Sale next season.

"Whatever Kenny [Williams] wants to do, we'll do," pitching coach Don Cooper told the newspaper.

Jake Peavy isn't expected to begin the season in the rotation, but the White Sox already have Mark Buehrle, John Danks, Edwin Jackson and Gavin Floyd ready for 2011, and Sale could be the fifth member of the rotation.

-- C. Trent Rosecrans

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Jake Peavy's injury is so rare, people don't know what to expect in his rehabilitation from a detached latissimus dorsi muscle near his right shoulder.

The right-hander went under the knife in July and is only now just getting around to tossing the ball. Peavy tells the Chicago Tribune that he plans to start lightly throwing, a step not without its risks.

"I'm feeling as good as I think I can at this point," Peavy said. "I'm still trying to regain my strength. [That] has been the toughest part for me."

Peavy is hoping to begin throwing off a mound January and be at full strength to give the White Sox a full season. He was unable to do so in 2010, making just 17 starts with a 4.63 ERA. In 2009, he split the year between the ChiSox and Padres, making 16 starts. The year before, he clocked in at 27 after three straight years of at least 30 starts and 200 innings pitched. He has only reached 30-plus starts one other time in his career, that being his first full season in 2003.

While Peavy could be ready for Opening Day, there is no confusion that it may take him much, much longer to return. The White Sox already have four starters in the fold, but would need a fifth without Peavy. Chicago plans to make first-round pick Chris Sale a starter after promoting him to the majors as a reliever. The club could also bring in a veteran to soak up innings in the outset until Sale or Peavy is ready.

Peavy is due $33 million over the next two years with a $22 million club option. If he hopes to see that option exercised, the 29-year-old will need to revert to Cy Young form the next two seasons.

-- Evan Brunell

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Jake Peavy hopes to be ready to pitch on opening day, he tells MLB.com's Scott Merkin .

"I'm excited for the progress we've already made and the way i feel," Peavy said. "I look forward to continue working hard. Hopefully, a little after the first of the year, I can get on the mound and not be behind at all when camp starts. That's the perfect scenario."

Peavy underwent right shoulder surgery on July 14 and hasn't started throwing yet, but hopes to play "easy catch" next month.

The White Sox have Peavy under contract for the next two more years with a club option for 2013.

Peavy said he learned a lesson with his injury this season.

"I'm going to listen to my body," he told Merkin. "You have to do that. I've learned that through this whole thing.

"Listen to your body a little bit better than I did. Be a little more honest with yourself when you are feeling something. I let something get quite a bit out of hand, and it led to an unfortunate ending to the season."

Peavy started 17 games for the White Sox this season, going 7-6 with a 4.63 ERA in 107 innings.

-- C. Trent Rosecrans

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As the sports world waits for the crowning of a champion, 22 other teams are busy preparing for spring training. What went wrong for these teams, and what does 2011 hold? MLB Facts and Rumors here at CBS Sports will be answering those questions through all of October. Now: the Chicago White Sox.

There's one thing about these Chicago White Sox, they're never dull. And that was the case again in 2010 as Kenny Williams and Ozzie Guillen had their own reality show and provided more than enough fodder in an ultimately unsuccessful season.

WHAT WENT WRONG

The vaunted White Sox rotation never quite lived up to its billing -- Jake Peavy (pictured, left) had his search cut in half with injury, and even before that he was medicore, going 7-6 with a 4.63 ERA. Mark Buehrle, John Danks and Gavin Floyd were merely slightly above average.

The team's hole at designated hitter was only magnified by watching their old flame -- the one they dumped -- marry up, as Jim Thome not only hit 25 homers, but he did it for the division-winning Twins. And then there's Manny Ramirez ... but that's an old story.

WHAT WENT RIGHT

The White Sox went on one of the longest hot streaks of the season, a stretch of 25 victories in 30 games to erase Minnesota's 9 1/2-game lead. But after that, the team just couldn't keep it going and saw its own lead in the division disappear.

Paul Konerko (pictured, below) had a fabulous season, hitting .312/.393/.584 with 39 homers and 111 RBI. (If you're talking about Konerko, it's good for him this season came in the final year of his contract.)

HELP ON THE WAY

The White Sox got a glimpse of the future at the end of the season. Brent Morel played 24 games and didn't put up the prettiest numbers at the big league level, but he could be the starting third baseman next season.

More impressive was 2010 first-rounder Chris Sale. The organization expects the left-hander to start. As a reliever -- in an attempt to limit his innings -- Sale showed the potential of a future ace. Fresh out of a small college, he wasn't intimidated by big league hitters, appearing in 21 games and amassing just a 1.93 ERA. He struck out 32 batters in 23 1/3 innings and walked 10 with a WHIP of 1.071.

EXPECTATIONS FOR 2011

Since winning the World Series in 2005, it's been title or bust for Williams and Guillen. That's not going to change now.

SUGGESTIONS FOR 2011

The biggest question for Williams will be if he can afford to keep Konerko, a White Sox mainstay. Konerko had a huge year and is a free agent, but he'll also be 35 on opening day and will command a big price tag, plus a multiyear contract. If you're going to spend that kind of money, why not give Adam Dunn a shot? Or, heck, go for broke (which they've been known to do) and sign both. The team certainly wouldn't lack power with a Konerko-Dunn tandem.

It'll be easy to let Bobby Jenks go, but who to replace him as the club's closer? I like Matt Thornton, but I'm not so sure Williams/Guillen is ready to lean no the lefty and take him out of the set-up role.

2011 PREDICTION

The Magic 8 Ball tells us to ask again later, there's too much time between now and April to know just what the White Sox will look like. This much is sure, the White Sox will be interesting, even if it's just the manager and general manager.

Check out the rest of the R.I.P. reports here.

-- C. Trent Rosecrans

For more baseball news, rumors and analysis, follow @cbssportsmlb on Twitter or subscribe to the RSS feed .

Jake Peavy is hopeful he can make it back in time for Opening Day 2011, but isn't ready to categorically state that.

"I don't really know and I don't think the doctors really know,'' Peavy told the Chicago Sun-Times . "They expect me to make a full recovery but said a lot of this is uncharted territory. They think it will be the case, and we hope that will be the case, but at the end of the day nobody can say, 'At this point and time, you're going to feel this way.'"

Peavy underwent surgery to repair a detached lat muscle in his right shoulder which is not a common injury like Tommy John surgery. Peavy relayed a story of speaking to retired star John Smoltz who said that with TJ surgery, you know what you should be doing when reaching certain benchmark days. Not so with Peavy's injury.

"I feel very confident that I will start my throwing program at the beginning of the year. I mean I don't want to miss anymore time than I have to, but at the same time we got to make sure we take things the right way," Peavy added.

Before going down with the injury, Peavy made 17 starts, posting a 4.63 ERA in 107 innings, punching out 93 and walking 34. Part of the reason for his high ERA had to do with home runs, which were expected moving from friendly Petco Park as a member of the Padres to US Cellular Field, home of the White Sox.

Meanwhile, general manager Kenny Williams isn't taking any chances in preparing his 2011 rotation for life without Peavy. Williams has four starters under contract -- Mark Buerhle, John Danks, Gavin Floyd and Edwin Jackson. Williams hopes to bring back Freddy Garcia, who seemingly came back from the dead to post a 11-5 record in 25 starts with a 4.82 ERA.

Garcia could step in the rotation if Peavy isn't ready to start the season, and otherwise would pitch out of the bullpen as a swingman. To further insulate the ChiSox, Chris Sale is expected to be converted back to a starter in the minors in 2011. Sale is currently pitching out of the bullpen as Chicago makes a push to win the AL Central Division.

Peavy doesn't fault Williams for the cautious approach in making sure there is plenty of depth, and appreciates the thought as a way to make sure Peavy comes back on his own schedule.

"I did have major surgery and we have to make sure that I didn't take any steps back,'' he added. "We have to be cautious and if that means take a couple extra weeks in spring training to get going ... I certainly don't want that to happen, and the plan is to do everything I can to be ready for the start of the season.''

Having starting pitching depth is a great thing, one which several teams undervalue but other teams like the Red Sox clearly hedge against in offseason moves. To have six starters on the major-league roster plus a pitcher like Sale in the minors will put the White Sox in great position, especially with additional young pitchers such as Jeff Marquez and Lucas Harrell as depth in Triple-A.

-- Evan Brunell

For more baseball news, rumors and analysis, follow @cbssportsmlb on Twitter or subscribe to the RSS feed .

White Sox pitcher Jake Peavy, who was placed on the disabled list Wednesday with a detached latissimus dorsi muscle, told the Chicago Tribune he expects to have to undergo surgery.

"It looks like surgery is the way we're going to have to go," Peavy said.

Given the expected recovery time -- the White Sox aren't making any official projections -- Peavy's season could well be over. It would be the second consecutive lost season for the 2007 Cy Young winner, who pitched in only 16 games last season because of an ankle injury.

-- David Andriesen

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Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune said Wednesday that Jake Peavy appears headed to the disabled list after straining a muscle in his back Tuesday night. Peavy had an MRI exam Wednesday, but the team has not yet released the results.

Even the best-case scenario, a handful of missed starts, is a blow to the White Sox, who have used just five starters this season and had seen Peavy begin to round into form after a brutal start to the season. Peavy has allowed three or fewer earned runs in his past six starts.

The upside is that Chicago appears to have a good option to replace Peavy in the rotation. Daniel Hudson has been lights out for Triple-A Charlotte, 7-2 with a 2.64 ERA in his past 10 starts, with opponents batting .194 against him.

Rogers wonders whether Peavy's injury might push the White Sox into the picture for Seattle left-hander Cliff Lee. As he points out, it would serve the dual purposes of adding a top-shelf pitcher while keeping him from division rival Minnesota, which has been rumored to be the front-runner for Lee.

-- David Andriesen

UPDATE: Peavy was placed on the DL Wednesday afternon after the MRI showed what the team called a "detached" muscle, which doesn't sound too good. They promoed Jeffrey Marquez, though it's not clear who is going to take Peavy's scheduled start on Sunday.

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