"Jake Peavy isn't close to 100 percent, but he insisted Saturday that he didn't ask to have his start pushed back a day.

"No, it was just something that they told me was going to happen,'' Peavy said. "Obviously, you do what you're told. I feel good, and I'm excited to pitch [Sunday afternoon].''

Peavy said he was told the team wanted to see what the newly acquired Zach Stewart could do.

Considering the youngster held the Minnesota Twins scoreless through five innings, there's a chance he could become part of another six-man rotation, especially with the Sox playing 17 consecutive days in September with a doubleheader thrown in.

"We've been talking about this,'' manager Ozzie Guillen said. "And we need [Stewart] in the starting rotation or the bullpen just in case we have a long man or two doubleheaders — Cleveland and Minnesota. All the conversation comes along, and that's the reason we did it.''

Meanwhile, Peavy still is holding out hope that this year turns for him and his teammates, and he also has high hopes for 2012. No torn lat surgery, no bad ankle, just a chance to be Peavy again.

"This whole thing has been a learning process for myself in so many different ways, going out there on different days and having such drastic differential on certain days,'' Peavy said. "I certainly hope to finish on a strong note and can't wait to catch my breath and get my feet under me to build toward a strong 2012.

''At the same time, we still have a glimmer of hope here, and we're holding on to that. I'll do all I can do to be as good as the other guys have been and give us a chance to win.''"