updated 12:39 a.m. ET Sept. 15, 2005

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen questions whether Damaso Marte is really hurt and criticized the reliever for showing up late for a game last weekend.

“If Marte’s not ready to help this team, he can have a nice trip to the Dominican Republic by himself,” Guillen said before the White Sox lost to the Kansas City on Wednesday night.

Marte’s sore neck was examined Wednesday in Chicago by team physician Dr. Charles Bush-Joseph, and the team said Marte has a strained muscle on the side of his upper back.

“He said Marte is fine. He’s 100 percent to go,” Guillen said after learning of the doctor’s diagnosis. “It makes you wonder if the injury was mentally or physically. If the injury was mental, it’s a shame because that kid has better stuff than a lot of people in this game.”

Marte, a left-handed reliever, is 3-3 with a 3.43 ERA in 60 appearances. He has not pitched since Sept. 7, when he faced two Kansas City batters and hit them both.

On Aug. 21, his ERA was 2.78.

“I don’t want this kid just to make an excuse that he was hurt just because he was giving it up,” Guillen said. “A lot of guys in this game give up home runs, base hits. I don’t want him to use (it) as an excuse to fake an injury. I don’t think he was. I just worry about the mental.

“When you’re hurt physically, you can recover. When it is mental, you don’t know when it is going to show up and you don’t know when it is going to stay at home. Mentally, we need guys to show up every day. I don’t know if he’s ready to do that for the team.”

Guillen sent Marte home Sunday after he showed up late.

“That’s my rules,” Guillen said. “If you don’t like it out, get it out of here. If he’s got a personal problem, let me or one of my coaches know. ... It is not an easy decision, I made. Do we need him? Yes. Is he a big part of the group? Yes. Can we play without him? Yes.

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“I think Marte took it the wrong way. He has to be ready to play. If he thinks he can do whatever he wants on this club, he’s not going to do whatever he wants to do on this club. I’m not going to let anybody do whatever he wants. You can’t be showing up late, when we need you. If you’re injured, everybody in baseball knows you have to be first one in ballpark to get ready.

Guillen said Marte could rejoin the club this weekend in Minnesota. He doesn’t know whether Marte will be included on the postseason roster.

“We have two weeks to make a decision on playoff roster,” Guillen said. “He doesn’t have to show me. He’s got to show his teammates. You don’t have to show me anything. I didn’t come here to make friends. I came here to be the best manager I can. You got to make those guys believe you are ready to go. If you’re not ready to go, I’m sorry and I’ll take my chances in a different way.”

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