If the network website can be believed, "Bulls Gameday," "CHSN Podcast Come Alive!" and "The Big Pro Football Show" are pushing the White Sox to CHSN+ for the day before the Bulls pregame show starts at 5:30pm.
The Bulls are playing the Cavaliers across the street from Progressive Field at 6 p.m., so today is the day where Midwestern metropolitan supremacy will be determined.
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The White Sox are now 3-for-3 on the all-important metric of successful reunions with veterans they privately expressed would return after being released from their spring training non-roster invites.
First, hard-slider enthusiast Dan Altavilla agreed to take up residence in the Charlotte Knights bullpen. Second, Omar Narváez agreed to be a ringer/handler of the precious Double-A rotation. And now, and probably most importantly, Brandon Drury has signed on after a two-week absence from the organization to start ramping up in extended spring training.
Drury seemed like a good bet to become a middle-of-the-order option for the Sox at the tail-end of a return-to-form performance in spring, which saw him hit .410/.439/.821 in 41 plate appearances before fracturing his left thumb trying to corral a wayward throw at first base in infield practice. Having already triggered his standard opt-out to compel the team to make a decision on his roster status, Drury was release rather than given a 40-man spot. Now that he's back in the fold on another minor league deal, the White Sox don't have to balance his recovery timeline against their immediate need.
In the meantime, Nick Maton has started the majority of games at DH. Two home runs have carried his overall production, although it hasn't taken the most sustainable looking shape: .150/.292/.450. Maton is a skilled fastball hitter, which is a good trait to sprinkle into the White Sox offensive mix, but leads to approaches like his former team took on Saturday, where he saw nothing but secondaries in four plate appearances.
"That was one of the things that I guess kind of got me in Detroit, I was getting off my stuff," Maton said about not letting blizzards of off-speed pitches affect his timing. "Now I'm in a good place and I know how to deal with it."
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Lefty reliever Tyler Gilbert was activated off the injured list after two rehab appearances at Triple-A Charlotte, with lefty reliever Brandon Eisert optioned in response. Gilbert gave up a pair of runs and didn't get out of the inning in his second ramp-up outing after being slowed by right knee bursitis in spring, but game results aren't always the determinant here.
Eisert struck out the side in his first outing of the year, but has been knocked around by fellow lefties in his two most recent appearances.
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Andrew Benintendi is not in the lineup after leaving Sunday's game with left adductor tightness, but also hasn't been put on the injured list. But it's unclear if that will hold.
First pitch: White Sox at Guardians
TV: CHSN+
Radio: ESPN 1000 AM
Lineups:
| Guardians | White Sox | |
|---|---|---|
| Steven Kwan, LF | 1 | Mike Tauchman, RF |
| José Ramírez, 3B | 2 | Luis Robert Jr., CF |
| Carlos Santana, 1B | 3 | Nick Maton, DH |
| Kyle Manzardo, DH | 4 | Andrew Vaughn, 1B |
| Lane Thomas, CF | 5 | Matt Thaiss, C |
| Nolan Jones, RF | 6 | Lenyn Sosa, 2B |
| Gabriel Arias, 2B | 7 | Miguel Vargas, 3B |
| Bo Naylor, C | 8 | Brooks Baldwin, LF |
| Brayan Rocchio | 9 | Jacob Amaya, SS |
| Ben Lively | SP | Shane Smith |
