ANAHEIM -- Toby Hall's targeted return to action with the White Sox by the end of May from a torn right labrum could be classified as probable and moving upward prior to Saturday morning. But before the start of Saturday's afternoon contest against the Angels, the White Sox reserve catcher seemingly upgraded his condition to the ultimate level.

"Today, it's definite," said Hall, speaking in full catcher's gear to a group of Chicago beat writers in the visitors' dugout concerning the final stages of his comeback, after catching bullpen sessions from both Javier Vazquez and Andrew Sisco. "When I throw everything on and catch the guys, throw back to the mound with velocity and I know I can go out and hit, that's the good thing about the whole thing.

"I think I have a lot of inner stuff that's helped. You know, it's a long year, and I still feel like I can help this club. So, that's got me through a lot of this stuff."

Along with catching Saturday's bullpens, Hall played long toss with bullpen catcher Mark Salas and tried to pick up a little velocity on his throws. He believes all the necessary skills are in working order, but they need to be tested in game conditions during a Minor League rehab assignment. That opinion was confirmed by Dr. Lewis Yocum, the Angels' team physician, who examined Hall on Saturday.

According to White Sox athletic trainer Herm Schneider, Yocum said Hall was looking very good and gave him the green light to get ready to play.

"When that is, I'm not exactly sure," said Schneider, who added Hall still has some soreness but also is at peace at not being 100 percent for a while. "He's going out to catch because that's what he needs to do. Where and when? That's up to [general manager] Kenny [Williams]."

Saturday's encouraging status stands as a far cry from where Hall found himself on March 26, when the shoulder problem was diagnosed after suffering the injury one day prior while diving for a ground ball at first base. The comeback has been a long-and-winding process, made a bit more trying by Hall sitting on the bench and being able to do nothing more than watch the team's offensive struggles.

Yet, even the veteran seems a little amazed at moving from being unable to lift his arm to closing in on a return to action in just six weeks.

"I was talking to Herm earlier, and he said, 'I'm proud of you,'" said Hall, who gave a lion's share of the credit for his recovery to Schneider and assistant trainer Brian Ball. "It helps having them as my trainers. They've had me working the whole time.

"Obviously, there are some days when it doesn't feel as good, when it's cold and I'm trying to get it going. It's been something, just watching the progress."

The forgotten man: Ozzie Guillen originally had planned to give Gustavo Molina a start behind the plate in Saturday's game, but reconsidered when looking at John Lackey on the mound for the Angels. With Bartolo Colon, who relies more on fastballs and sliders, starting on Sunday, Guillen figures the young catcher has a better chance for success with that matchup.

Molina has only eight at-bats this season in five games, and he is still in search of his first hit. His game-calling ability and throwing arm are certainly of Major League quality, but the question remains whether Molina is strong enough offensively to face top-notch pitching. Both Guillen and Molina believe his skills fit perfectly in the role of a backup catcher.

"Most of the backup catchers are catch-and-throw guys," Guillen said. "When you are a catcher and you can hit, you play every day. This kid handles his business real well. I don't have any complaint about him calling the game. I'm fine with him so far."

"On offense, when you don't play very much every day, when you go out there, you can't try to do too much at the plate," Molina added. "I have to concentrate on little things like [when there's a] man on second [with] no outs, move the guy over. That's the biggest part in the game for me, the routine plays. Put the team first and my numbers second."

Fewer breaks, more action: Monday's off-day in between the Angels' series and the three-game set against Minnesota marks the White Sox third open date of this road trip, with one coming before the South Siders embarked for two games in Seattle. Guillen said he can't remember so many free days in one trip, with the White Sox having eight scheduled off-days during the first two months.

If Guillen had a say in the schedule, he would give the team more rest in August and September.

"Obviously, in April, you have to do it because of the weather," said Guillen, whose team has three days off each in August and September. "But you have three days off in one road trip, and all of a sudden you play 10 games in a row.

"Sometimes it helps you. But we need days off late in the season."

Remembering history: With Mark Buehrle taking the mound on Sunday for the series finale at Angel Stadium, there's room for one more no-hitter memory coming from his masterful performance against Texas on April 18. This observation comes from White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, who was in Arizona on that particular night, working on some Spring Training details.

"I was trying to find out the score of [that] game and the Bulls game, so I called my son Michael's house and I got his wife," said Reinsdorf, whose Bulls' squad needed to win at New Jersey that night to secure the Eastern Conference's second seed. "She said the Bulls were down by nine, and the White Sox were winning, 6-0. She didn't realize it was a no-hitter.

"We landed, and [White Sox senior vice president of stadium operations] Terry Savarise was with me. He looks at his Blackberry, and says, 'Buehrle pitched a no-hitter.' That's how I found out."

Reinsdorf remembers watching Milt Pappas' no-hitter in person on Sept. 2, 1972, as well as Jack Morris' no-hitter against the White Sox at Comiskey Park on April 7, 1984.

Around the horn: According to Guillen, Juan Uribe is expected back in the White Sox starting lineup for Tuesday's series opener against Minnesota. Uribe's mother, whose illness was the reason for Uribe's return to Chicago, is improving ... The White Sox will not face Johan Santana during next week's series at the Metrodome ... With Jim Thome absent for five games entering Saturday, the team has walked just seven times. In the first 21 contests, with Thome active, the White Sox drew 97 walks (4.6 per game).

Down on the farm: Gio Gonzalez was hit hard by Tennessee during Double-A Birmingham's 16-1 loss on Friday night in Southern League action. Gonzalez, who had been dominant all season, allowed eight earned runs on nine hits over 3 1/3 innings, striking out four. The southpaw's ERA jumped to 3.98. ... Aaron Cunningham, batting .354 for Class A Winston-Salem, drove in two runs, and Clayton Richard allowed just one run on three hits over six innings. But the Warthogs suffered a 6-5 setback to Frederick on Friday.

On deck: Buehrle (2-1, 2.97) makes his third road start out of six outings this season in Sunday afternoon's series finale at Angel Stadium.