Who knows how, but we've gotten through 96 games of White Sox baseball together. What's one more?
"There's been some really good stuff," Will Venable said. "I know we've talked about it a bunch, but just the competitive spirit and really coming every day to work and compete and play hard has been something that through some tough stretches we've continued to do. Been really proud of the group as they've really connected and built something within the clubhouse that they go out and are proud of every day they go out on the field. So that's been something that stands out."
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Shane Smith would like to pitch in the All-Star Game, and the White Sox say they're going to let him.
"We still have to communicate with the Yankees and get dialed in on what kind of availability he’ll have," Venable said. "But yeah. He’ll be pitching."
As last year's pennant winners, the Yankees coaching staff is handling the All-Star game management for the AL team. Venable was part of that effort last year with the Rangers, and a little tell he's developed for when he's actually irked by something is that his answers become very short. So when Vinnie Duber asked if coordinating All-Star Game usage plans from 14 different teams across the league was an unenviable task, Venable gave his shortest answer of the day by far.
"Yes. Very much so."
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Cam Booser's rehab assignment in Charlotte has ended, but his time there has not. The White Sox optioned him. Considered a leverage option and a potential trade asset at the open of the season, Booser has struggled with walks and ran up a 5.11 ERA in 24 2/3 innings.
The White Sox acquired catcher Blake Sabol from the Red Sox for cash considerations. He's being assigned to Triple-A Charlotte. Sabol offers a passable bat for a catcher, with a career .237/.307/.383 batting line. But he's thrown out just eight of 66 basestealers over that same time.
Jesse Scholtens--remember him?--is beginning a rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte on Sunday.
Jonathan Cannon will start the first game after the All-Star break on Friday in Pittsburgh.
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Miguel Vargas is hitting .132/.190/.158 through 11 games in July. And while Venable said it's fair to say he's missing some heaters he was walloping in May, the manager argued that his shift down in the batting order is more about moving Lenyn Sosa--who is hitting .268/.302/.537 in July--up.
Sosa also plays a role in Colson Montgomery playing third base for the first half finale.
"Sosa for us, his best spot is at second base," Venable said. "Where we have Vargas, who obviously has some flexibility there. And we want to keep Chase plugged in at shortstop also. So it’s a good opportunity for him to get there and as we were optimizing from there, it makes sense to have Vargas at first and Colson at third."
It seems like a telling thing to say that Sosa is better at second the day after he straight-up dropped a double play turn. It also seems telling that Sosa leads American League second baseman in errors, and that Venable's assesment still feels true.
First pitch: White Sox vs. Guardians
TV: CHSN
Radio: ESPN 1000 AM, WRTO 1200 AM (Spanish)
Lineups:
| Guardians | White Sox | |
|---|---|---|
| Steven Kwan, LF | 1 | Chase Meidroth, SS |
| Nolan Jones, CF | 2 | Austin Slater, RF |
| José Ramírez, 3B | 3 | Edgar Quero, C |
| Kyle Manzardo, DH | 4 | Lenyn Sosa, 2B |
| Carlos Santana, 1B | 5 | Andrew Benintendi, DH |
| Bo Naylor, C | 6 | Luis Robert Jr., CF |
| Angel Martínez, 2B | 7 | Miguel Vargas, 1B |
| Johnathan Rodríguez, RF | 8 | Colson Montgomery, 3B |
| Brayan Rocchio, SS | 9 | Michael A. Taylor, LF |
| Joey Cantillo | SP | Aaron Civale |
