White Sox Drop Reliever Downs, Call Up Surkamp

(CBS) The White Sox have designated lefty reliever Scott Downs for assignment, they announced Thursday morning, and called up lefty reliever Eric Surkamp from Triple-A Charlotte to take his place.

The 38-year-old Downs was 0-2 with a 6.08 ERA, 15 walks and 22 strikeouts in 23 2/3 innings this season. He walked the only batter he faced in Chicago's extra-innings loss at Baltimore on Wednesday night.

The 26-year-old Surkamp was 3-4 with a 4.54 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 73 1/3 innings in Charlotte this season. He was 2-3 with a 7.36 ERA in a combined seven starts with the Giants in 2011 and 2013.

The White Sox had signed Downs to a one-year, $4 million last offseason with an option for 2015.