A.L. Central

CHICAGO WHITE SOX

RHP Cliff Politte is healthy and his velocity is climbing, but his ERA is over 8.00. The White Sox have not given up on Politte, but until he regains his form, David Riske will fill the righthanded setup role. Politte's problems are attributed to a lack of confidence.... Baserunners are stealing at will against RHP Freddy Garcia; they were successful in 25 of their first 26 attempts. Manager Ozzie Guillen wants Garcia to pay closer attention to runners and be a little quicker to the plate. FIRST HALF GRADES: Offense: A DH Jim Thome has provided lefthanded power in the middle of the order. The team leads the majors in home runs and runs scored. Pitching: B Every starter has at least eight wins and Bobby Jenks is among the major league leaders in saves, but the bullpen has been inconsistent. Defense: A CF Brian Anderson, SS Juan Uribe, 2B Tadahito Iguchi and 38 Joe Crede are studs.--Scott Merkin

CLEVELAND INDIANS

Rookie RHP Fausto Carmona has pitched well since being moved to the bullpen, and the Indians would like him to become a closer. If the team thinks Carmano can handle the job, it might deal RHP Bob Wickman.... Injuries to RF Casey Blake and LF Jason Michaels opened the door to more playing time for OF Todd Hollandsworth, who has responded with some big at-bats. The Indians would like to use him consistently in the second half. FIRST HALF GRADES, Offense. A It's hard to argue with the production the club has gotten from CF Brady Sizemore, DH Travis Hafner and C Victor Martinez. Pitching: C- The rotation has rebounded from a rough start and LHP Jeremy Sowers could add more depth, but the bullpen's struggles caused the team to fall out of contention. Defense: D The infield defense has cost this club more than a handful of games.--Anthony Castrovince

DETROIT TIGERS

38 Brandon Inge calls himself a slow starter on defense--he tends to rack up more errors early in the year. As his footwork has improved, particularly in the past month, his throws have been more accurate and he has become more consistent handling routine plays.... In recent weeks, RHP Todd Jones' legs finally have felt fully healthy, and that has played a big role in his renewed velocity. Hamstring problems set him back early on, but Jones, 35, now has the lower-body strength to pitch more for power instead of relying on precise location. FIRST HALF GRADES: Offense: B RF Marcus Thames has become a powerful presence in the middle of the order. Pitching: A RHP Zach Minor has fit into the rotation as though he belonged there all along. Defense: B Curtis Granderson's range in center makes up for problems in left field.--Jason Beck

KANSAS CITY ROYALS

Aaron Guiel's departure--he was claimed on waivers by the Yankees--clears the logjam of outfielders. Joey Gathright will play center, David DeJesus will man left, and Reggie Sanders will get most of the time in right. Matt Stairs will be a spot starter, and Emil Brown will be the DH until Mike Sweeney (back) returns from the disabled list.... RHP Mike MacDougal and RHP Zack Greinke were impressive in their most recent rehab outings and could join the staff soon. Greinke pitched a 2-hitter in a complete-game victory for Class AA Wichita. FIRST HALF GRADES: Offense: F The batting average has improved slightly, but the club still is near the bottom of the league in most offensive categories. Pitching: F The majors' worst staff ERA is a result of injuries and a dearth of talent. Defense: B The team has a solid fielding percentage but doesn't get to as many balls as it should.--Jim Molony

MINNESOTA TWINS

DH Rondell White's numbers have plummeted because his surgically repaired left shoulder has been tighter than expected, which makes it difficult for him to catch up to fastballs. The club hopes he can stretch out his shoulder in a rehab stint at Class AAA Rochester.... SS Jason Bartlett has shown better bat control and defense than expected since the team called him up in mid-June. His command of the middle infield has been an invaluable asset. FIRST HALF GRADES: Offense: B+ The young bats are starting to emerge; with C Joe Mauer leading the major leagues in hitting and 1B Justin Morneau putting up excellent power numbers, the Twins finally are scoring runs. Pitching: B+ Inserting LHP Francisco Liriano into the rotation has given the Twins two Cy Young Award candidates. Defense: B Errors are rare--especially because of the addition of younger, more athletic players on the left side of the infield.--Kelly Thesier

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