UPDATE: Since writing this post a few hours ago, Bruce Levine broke word on ESPN Chicago that TCQ will start the post-All Star break portion of the season in AAA Charlotte. According to Levine, if Quentin continues to progress in his rehab from plantar fasciitis, he could rejoin the White Sox within a few days.

Levin also says there is still the possibility of a trade to upgrade the 5th spot in the pitching rotation.

Our most recognizable fan has garnered some criticism for a relatively weak toss before the All Star Game, and also inexplicably forgot the name of our ballpark (or old ballpark, to be exact) in an interview, but as the All Star break winds to a close there is some good news on the South Side.

And it deals with the man, the myth, the legend that is: THE Carlos Quentin.

According to Mark Gonzales of the Tribune, Carlos Quentin could be back in the White Sox lineup as soon as Friday against Baltimore.  TCQ has been out of the lineup since May 25 while dealing with the debilitating effects of plantar fasciitis. And while Sox fans everywhere will certainly be happy to have Quentin back in the lineup, don’t think the injury concern is over.  Rickhouse over at Tremendous Upside Potential posed the ominous question today, will Carlos be able to overcome the dreaded plantar fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is quickly becoming a common enemy in Chicago sports. The foot injury has kept Carlos Quentin out the last month and a half, but now Q! is ready to come back, perhaps as early as tomorrow. But how effective will he be?

Make no mistake: this injury blows. Big time. It basically ruined the careers of NBA greats Andrew Toney and Andres Nocioni (Ha!). But before you laugh too hard at my hilarious joke, remember that Noce wasn’t always the worst player ever. There was a time – specifically in the 2005 playoffs against the Wizards – when Noce was accurately described best with words like “bulldog” and “warrior”. Then he got plantar fasciitis, missed a third of the 2006-07 season, and quickly became a laughingstock.  

That’s not exactly the most optimistic of anecdotes.  But at least he ends it on a positive note:

But will Quentin be able to mash right away? Who knows. But if anyone can do it, it’s Q!perman.

And Rickhouse is right in his article when he says that the White Sox need Quentin.  I think the team has done an outstanding job of compensating for his loss, and certainly the offense has picked up considerably over the past six weeks.  But to compete for the AL Central crown, and to battle deep into October, the White Sox need what they did not have last year: their best overall player healthy and providing a potent bat in the middle of the lineup.

According to Gonzales’ article, Quentin received a shipment of special shoes that are designed to help him deal more effectively with the plantar fasciitis issue.  But everything I’ve read about his injury has suggested that he won’t be truly 100% until the end of the season.  Ozzie and the Sox seem prepared for this inevitability, as they are already planning to remove Quentin late in games for defensive purposes and to give him rest whenever the opportunity presents itself.

But with all the talk this year about the White Sox trading for a pitcher like Jake Peavy or Roy Halladay, or even going after another power bat, the impact of an effective Quentin returning to the lineup cannot be understated. The White Sox have done more than just tread water in Q’s absence; they’ve drawn to within striking distance of the Tigers in the Central.  Now, assuming Quentin comes back at somewhere in the neighborhood of 80-90% effectiveness, we are essentially adding one of the 25-30 best hitters in the game to the lineup without having to give up any prospects to do so.

So here’s hoping Carlos is healthy enough to have a significant impact, as well as healed and protected enough to prevent further injury this season.  The White Sox were left for dead by many people in mid-May, but are back in the thick of things as we head into the second half of the season.  I still believe this team is going to the playoffs, and as I said a couple weeks back Carlos Quentin’s return is paramount among the reasons why.

* – Carlos Quentin “Q!perman” photo credit: Tremendous Upside Potential