Pregame notes: Turn the page

MILWAUKEE -- Ideally, a the White Sox would have not opened the season with a 14-2 loss where they looked awful in all facets of the game. We can be honest here.

"I'd be lying if
I said that it wasn't tough to have opened up like that," Will Venable said. "But this group has come back after every tough game with the right attitude, with right competitive spirit. We did our review process like we do every game and had some things, a number of things, that we are going to tighten up here and make sure that we are better, having experienced that."

Not only did the White Sox make a poor first impression, but the schedule is such that after getting obliterated on a Thursday afternoon, they've waited until Saturday night to replace it with literally any other impression of this team, after what they've widely characterized as a great camp experience.

"As a team we had a really good spring, and you come in for that first game and you feel good, and then Chase [Meidroth] hits a home run and everyone's feeling good, and then you get punched in the mouth," Jordan Leasure said. "It's going to happen. It's probably not the only time we're going to lose big. Whether we had the off day yesterday or not, you come back and it's a new day. Just get back to work and not even think about it anymore. Just keep moving on."

Meidroth, who connected on the farthest batted ball of his life on Thursday, seems to have quickly moved past both that, and the defeat.

"It was quick to put it past," Meidroth said. "There’s going to be little stumps in the road as the season goes, it just happened to be Day 1, so I think you kind of look at it a little more. But we’re past it and we’re moving on to today."

After being dogged by many ailments in his rookie year, Meidroth said his right hand was fully healthy by last December. More power wouldn't be a bad side effect.

⚙️⚙️⚙️

Venable promised that versatility would be an emphasis this season across the position player group, and didn't put a hard number on how much third base Colson Montgomery will play this season. But he termed Saturday's different-looking lineup as a product of trying to get more lefties involved, and wanting to get bench players invovled early.

"Don't want guys sitting around for multiple days here," Venable said. "Especially with the off day between. We also like all these guys and want them in the lineup. An opportunity against [Chad] Patrick with the big splits to get some lefties in there. So we see Tristan Peters and Reese [McGuire] in there as well. Also a little bit different of a structure, again, just with the splits, getting those lefties stuffed up front."

The unconventional-looking attack will be supporting Sean Burke, who will try to back up his spring optimism.

⚙️⚙️⚙️

The months-long drama of how the White Sox would balance having three experienced major league catchers has culminated in...Korey Lee clearing waivers and being outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte three days after being designated for assignment. To look on the bright side, this is the best result the White Sox catching depth could have hoped for back in January. As a lesson for the future, this is a good reminder of the relative trade value of the guy that everyone in the league knows you need to cut at the end of spring.

"We love Korey," Venable said. "I was a little surprised that there wasn't interest in him, but at the same time, it's great to have him back. He's someone that we trust and do believe in, and so to be able to retain him as depth in this organization is huge for us."

Curtis Mead, the other player put into the DFA limbo the day before the season, did manage to draw some trade interest. The White Sox traded Mead to the Nationals in exchange for catcher Boston Smith, their sixth round pick from last July's draft. Smith is headed to the Arizona Complex League and has yet to play a minor league game. The 23-year-old was a small school senior sign who whacked 26 homers at Wright State last season.

⚙️⚙️⚙️

Tall left-hander Bryan Hudson is back on the major league roster after being claimed off waivers on Friday. Fellow low-slot lefty Tyler Gilbert was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte to make room.

"He did a nice job against righties, actually probably threw more strikes against righties than lefties, which was nice, so kind of a neutral arm out there from the left side, which is always good, to be able to get those righties out," Venable said. "Just like his versatility. He can throw multiple innings, get lefties out, righties out, so it's a good addition for us."

First pitch: White Sox at Brewers

TV: CHSN

Radio: ESPN 1000 AM

Lineups: