The White Sox are attempting to go over .500 for the first time since they won the first game of the Pedro Grifol era, and over .500 this deep into the season for the first time since they were 81-80 at the end of 2022. They also haven't swept the Royals since May of 2023, while we're compiling fun facts.
If the Sox break through, they'll do it with another screwy incarnation of their lineup against left-handed opposing starters. Colson Montgomery hasn't missed a start in almost a month, but it's easy to imagine he'll appear once Kris Bubic is out of the game. Bubic held Montgomery hitless and struck him out twice when they faced each other last month in Kansas City, but that hardly isolates him. Bubic struck out a career-high 11 while holding the Sox scoreless over seven innings of two-hit ball in their last encounter, with one of the hits belonging to the departed Lenyn Sosa.
If Will Venable just took his lineup from that game and then made the opposite decision whenever possible, there'd be a certain logic to that strategy.
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Kyle Teel (right hamstring strain) isn't getting rushed up for some cathartic return for the Crosstown series. He's catching Thursday night for Triple-A Charlotte for a scheduled seven innings, and the White Sox want him to be able to recover well from a full nine-inning game behind the plate before he's really under consideration to be activated.
"There’s still several days of that schedule and then as he continues to check boxes, we’ll evaluate day to day," Venable said. "The reports are good. He’s feeling good. He’s recovering well. He has been challenged to run first to home, that went well. He ran well and felt good. He’s been swinging the bat well and seeing pitches."
Austin Hays (left calf strain) was going through a seemingly endless assortment of lower body exercises with trainers this afternoon, is supposed to run the bases this weekend. Per Venable, his successful turn through that will set him up for a rehab assignment. Everson Pereira (right pectoral strain) hit in the batting cage and was running sprints on the field, but there isn't a timeline yet for him.
The last word from the Sox on Prelander Berroa leaving his rehab outing after a single batter Wednesday, is that he's still being evaluated.
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A little over two years after he was in independent ball, Tyler Davis' scoreless 1 2/3 innings of work earned him his first career major league victory Wednesday night. Pitcher victories aren't as important as they used to be, but there are still rituals associated with it.
"They put me in a shopping cart, I got a shower," Davis said. "They dumped milk, and condiments and everything else you can name and it was awesome. No place I'd rather be."
He's cleaned up now.
"Good clubhouse, guys helped me pick up everything that was left, so that was nice. We were in the shower, so it's a good place for it to happen, easy cleanup."
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The White Sox are 8-5 in one-run games so far in 2026. They went a combined 47-95 in the previous three seasons.
First pitch: White Sox vs. Royals
TV: CHSN
Radio: ESPN 1000, 107.9 FM La Ley
Lineups:
| Royals | White Sox | |
|---|---|---|
| Maikel Garcia, 3B | 1 | Chase Meidroth, 2B |
| Bobby Witt Jr., SS | 2 | Miguel Vargas, 3B |
| Lane Thomas, RF | 3 | Munetaka Murakami, 1B |
| Salvador Perez, C | 4 | Randal Grichuk, LF |
| Nick Loftin, 2B | 5 | Edgar Quero, C |
| Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B | 6 | Andrew Benintendi, DH |
| Starling Marte, DH | 7 | Derek Hill, CF |
| Isaac Collins, LF | 8 | Luisangel Acuña, SS |
| Kyle Isbel, CF | 9 | Jarred Kelenic, RF |
| Kris Bubic | SP | Anthony Kay |
