White Sox Minor Keys: May 3, 2026

Braden Montgomery's guns-blazing start to the season suggested that his second stint in Birmingham wouldn't be a lengthy one.

Sure enough, the White Sox announced that Montgomery will be moving up to Charlotte when the Knights open a fresh series in Jacksonville against the Jumbo Shrimp.

Montgomery closes this chapter of his season having hit .313/.429/.606 over 27 games and 126 plate appearances with the Barons, with six homers, three triples and five doubles along with 21 walks. The contact rate remains potentially troubling, and his switch-hitting reps are imbalanced because he's only accrued 19 plate appearances against lefties this year, but playing in Statcast parks should better illuminate how we discuss these things, while also putting a number on how very, very hard he hits the ball.

Montgomery won't be making the trip alone, as Shane Murphy is returning to Charlotte after a late-season promotion last season, which was followed by a season-opening assignment back in Double-A. He was hit harder in Birmingham this time around, sporting a 3.99 ERA in a livelier Southern League after a 1.38 ERA the last time around, but he's still averaging six innings a start with pitches to spare. Ideally it wouldn't have taken yet another Charlotte injury -- this one a rotator cuff strain for Shane Smith -- to open the spot, but it's further testament to the idea that the best ability is availability.

Charlotte 10, Gwinnett 9

• Rikuu Nishida was 1-for-3 with three walks.
• Jacob Gonzalez, 3-for-6 with a double.
• Ryan Galanie went 2-for-4 with an HBP and a stolen base.
• Korey Lee went 3-for-6 with a homer, but check the notes for why he's here.
• Hagen Smith: 3 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 41 of 66 pitches for strikes.
• Jonathan Cannon: 3 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR
• Duncan Davitt: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 2 HR

Notes:

*Smith's three walks came over his first four batters, and two came home to score on a single to right field, but he avoided greater disaster because Korey Lee cut down a runner at third from right field.

*Lee hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth, moved to catcher in the top of the ninth after Josh Breaux was pinch-hit for, and then walked it off in the bottom of that inning.

Birmingham 10, Chattanooga 9

• Samuel Zavala was 0-for-3 with two walks.
• Braden Montgomery went 1-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts.
• Jeral Perez, 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout.
• Connor McCullough: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 45 of 63 pitches for strikes.

Greensboro 8, Winston-Salem 6

• Caleb Bonemer went 1-for-3 with three walks.
• Colby Shelton was 0-for-4 with a walk and three strikeouts.
• Anthony DePino, 2-for-4 with an HBP.
• George Wolkow was 1-for-3 with two walks.
• Kyle Lodise, 1-for-3 with his first homer, two walks and a strikeout.
• Boston Smith singled twice, walked once and struck out twice.

Notes:

*The Dash lost despite their hitters drawing 12 walks, and their pitchers issuing zero.

Kannapolis 7, Augusta 6

• Abraham Nunez went 1-for-5 with a homer and a strikeout.
• Billy Carlson was 1-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base.
• Jaden Fauske hit his first professional homer, finishing 1-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts.
• Javier Mogollón doubled twice, singled twice, struck out once and stole two bases.
• Truman Pauley: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR, 29 of 49 pitches for strikes.

Highlights:

*Fauske's first went the other way: