Remember, being available to play is a skill

The White Sox are 23-26 are getting swept by the Toronto Blue Jays this week. Their run differential is minus-55, so they are lucky their record isn't even worse.

I've been guilty of not blogging as frequently this season, and there's a reason for that. The truth is, I don't enjoy watching this team, and I don't have much to say about them. How many different ways can you write, "They stink"? 

It's June 2, so we've passed the threshold of using the weather as an excuse. It's warm enough to hit now, but the Sox still aren't hitting. 

I'm sure injuries will be cited as the excuse now. The team is without its best offensive player, Tim Anderson, who strained his groin Sunday against the Cubs. He's expected to miss three weeks, and make no mistake, that's a big blow.

Injuries have limited Yoan Moncada to 17 games, and he's hitting a measly .138 with a .422 OPS when he has been on the field. As per usual, Eloy Jimenez is injured. He's only appeared in 11 games this season, although he's rehabbing in Triple-A Charlotte now. But how long until he gets hurt again?

Catcher Yasmani Grandal has cited offseason knee surgery and a short spring training as reasons for his slow start. But it's June now, and he's still looking terrible -- a .160 batting average, a .483 OPS and only four extra-base hits (2 home runs, 2 doubles) in 174 plate appearances.

Andrew Vaughn, AJ Pollock and Luis Robert have also missed time at different points this season, although all are healthy now.

But here's something to keep in mind: Being available to play is a skill, and teams that win championships usually have their players in the lineup more often than not.

Robert, Jimenez, Grandal and Anderson all missed significant time last season, too, so waiting for guys to return to the lineup is a familiar Sox lament. At some point, you just have to admit that this core group can't stay healthy, and it's time to change the mix. How long are you going to wait for the band to get back together, especially since they were never really together in the first place?

Obviously, the Sox have won only one championship in my lifetime. Here are the games played for the regulars on the 2005 Sox:

C: A.J. Pierzynski -- 128 games

1B: Paul Konerko -- 146 games

2B: Tadahito Iguchi -- 133 games

SS: Juan Uribe -- 146 games

3B: Joe Crede -- 130 games

LF: Scott Podsednik -- 124 games

CF: Aaron Rowand -- 157 games

RF: Jermaine Dye -- 140 games

Imagine that ... six regulars with 130 or more games played, and a catcher who almost got there while playing the most demanding position on the diamond.

People have said of the current Sox, "Just wait until they get healthy." Well, what reason do you have to believe they are ever going to be healthy?

No way in hell they have six regulars who approach 130 games played; I can promise you that.