Pregame notes: Get in loser, we’re watching White Sox baseball

If the arrival of White Sox Opening Day startles you, that might be a small point of connection with the first-year manager.

"I woke up to my daughters tapping me on the shoulder telling me that they're ready to start the day and to wake up and get out of bed," said Will Venable "But yeah, once I got up and going, certainly felt the spirit of the day and certainly felt the butterflies for sure."

The White Sox opened the day by announcing the roster moves necessary to add Mike Clevinger, Travis Jankowski and Nick Maton to the 40-man roster, which involved putting Drew Thorpe on the 60-day injured list and designating Jake Eder and Dominic Fletcher for assignment. This isn't exactly a hopeless time of year for sneaking Triple-A players through waivers, but since both Fletcher and Eder were acquired in 1-for-1 trades, there is some inherent admission of failure in these moves. Eder was already set to move to the bullpen at Charlotte, and at age 27, it's hard to know what the window for Fletcher will be if it's not this year.

Alongside those moves, Bryan Ramos was officially placed on the IL for a right elbow strain. His placement is backdated to March 25, while Mike Tauchman and Josh Rojas were backdated to March 23, making them eligible to return by April 2.

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Tim Anderson returns to Rate Field on Thursday for the first time in another uniform, and is starting at second base while Yoán Moncada and Nicky Lopez sit. Anderson praised the support he's received from Angels manager Ron Washington, and is optimistic that his legs are newly healthy after a blizzard of lower half injuries have sapped his effectiveness since 2022.

But he's also clearly subdued after a stretch of time that has dragged him down from his two-time All-Star status. At age 31, Anderson doesn't sound likely to flip his bat after a big hit on Thursday, reminding that the slogan was 'Let the kids play,' and that he seems to have aged out of that designation. He's hopeful, but not presumptuous about the fan reception he'll receive, and is ultimately self-assured about how his White Sox contributions should be viewed.

"It takes nine to win," Anderson said in response to the White Sox falling short of expectations during his tenure. "I was only one of them. I know I did what I had to do to try to win ballgames. I don't pitch. I just went out and played shortstop everyday and came to the ballpark ready to play. I'm happy with the way I went about it."

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Venable said that Andrew Benintendi will play the next two games of this series against the Angels in the outfield, so don't get too excited about his new position. Miguel Vargas in the leadoff spot does have a chance to be a slightly more regular occurrence.

"As we're kind of looking at this first series, I think you'll see him there a couple times," Venable said. "Also we're transparent with these guys and told them that we're going to do some different things with this lineup this first week. So just kind of hang tight, and we'll see what it kind of settles into as we get going."

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If Rule 5 picks from the New England area are some sort of market inefficiency, the White Sox are all over.

"I didn’t really picture my call-up being from a different team’s GM telling me I was going to another team," said newly acquired pitcher Mike Vasil. "I was in shock. Shane [Smith] and I, our first time here together. We both just kind of started smiling and laughing. We both were like I can’t believe this is actually happening. Last time I saw Shane, we were leaving the Northeast and coming out to Spring Training. Next thing you know we meet up in a major league stadium so it’s pretty cool."

Vasil (pronounced VASS-ill, as the man himself specified) is a Boston native, so he knows both Smith and Sean Burke because they were all in the same high school class and frequently bumped into each other on the showcase circuit. He'll be working out of the bullpen while Smith and Burke are in the rotation, so it'll be a more gradual process to see if reuniting so many participants of the 2017 East Coast Pro Showcase will bear fruit.

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With Colson Montgomery and Chase Meidroth looming in Triple-A, and after enduring two DFAs over the offseason, Jacob Amaya is not trumpeting his victory as the White Sox's Opening Day shortstop.

"There's still a season to be played," Amaya said. "Nothing is given. So going into spring training and having everyone be at that position [shortstop], it kind of brings back that fire in you."

Amaya's ability to defend the position is his carrying trait, but after hitting .179/.222/.195 with 28 strikeouts in 71 plate appearances with the Sox last year, he underwent a swing change in the offseason. The 26-year-old said he developed an uppercut stroke at the behest of the Dodgers in pursuit of more power, which he ultimately feels did not suit his game or his lithe, agility-oriented physical frame.

He's returned to a more downward-oriented stroke that he feels allows him to cover elevated velocity better, and despite the tumult of his offseason, this change is ultimately fulfilling the offensive goals the White Sox gave Amaya in his exit meeting at the end of last year.

First pitch: White Sox vs. Angels

TV: CHSN

Listen: ESPN 1000 AM

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