Pregame notes: Colson Montgomery remains sidelined from first-place White Sox

Great news: with six losses in their last seven games, the Guardians have fallen behind the White Sox in the AL Central standings by mere percentage points. For a few hours, and maybe more if there's any more rain, the Sox are in first place.

"I'm just proud of the guys and this organization and where we got to at this point to be in that position," said Will Venable, who thankfully didn't act weird about this and pretend to not know the standings like some of his predecessors. "Obviously, it just means that we're there today at this moment, but it's significant in the sense that there's been a lot of progress here and we have a group of guys in there that have come together and worked extremely hard to create a belief in themselves to go out on the field and make it happen."

Complicated news: Four of those six Guardians losses have come at the hands of the Yankees, whom the Sox have to face in New York next week, right after they get done playing the Dodgers at home.

"Obviously we know who we're playing," said Andrew Benintendi. "You look at who were facing and it's like 'Whoa.' Saw a lot of good arms in Philly, obviously with this team too, then the Dodgers and Yankees. But then again it's like, whatever. We've done it before. Why not just keep doing it?"

"We all see with the tie in the division," Colson Montgomery said. "But we're focused about tonight. We've got a really good Chris Sale on the mound and a really good team in the Braves, and we know we have a really tough stretch coming up. But it's just what Will has been saying to all of us is just 'Play our game. Attack. We're a really good team too.'"

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Montgomery was speaking to the media because he's out of the lineup for a second-straight game because of back tightness, which he says stems from an awkward swing about two weeks ago, creating a weird feeling that had slowly grown worse over time.

"What I gauge it on is if it starts affecting me, like my life, day to day stuff, that's when I need to start kind of thinking about stuff," Montgomery said, explaining how he played through discomfort for a while. "I could have easily just kept playing through it and things like that, but sometimes that leads to worse things, and so this was a group decision. It was the training staff, coaches, everybody. They're like, 'Let's just get ahead of it, knock it out.'"

Montgomery said his back "locked up" on him more on Tuesday, but that he's feeling better after two days of treatment. He seemed willing to say that he could pinch hit if asked, but allowed that he might not be back until Friday. Typically, when that's publicly admitted, it means a player won't be back until Friday at the earliest. But obviously the Sox have bypassed a move to the injured list thus far.

"I don't think there's any major concern," said Venable.

It does mean a second-straight start for Luisangel Acuña at short, who got to exchange lineup cards with his older brother before the game on Tuesday.

"Every time we are out there on the field, it’s a dream come true for us," Acuña said via interpreter. "When we are stretching and we are talking, when we were at home plate, exchanging lineups, it’s a dream come true. We come from a town where there is nothing there. Just being here and just realizing our dream, it’s exciting."

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The Sox did not bypass a move to the IL for Tyler Gilbert, who is sidelined with impingement in his throwing shoulder, necessitating a return of Chris Murphy from Charlotte.

Speaking of Charlotte, Everson Pereira (right pectoral strain) got through a full game of playing right field for the Knights earlier Wednesday; the fourth game of his rehab assignment.

"We'll see what the next couple of days look like for him," Venable said. "But he got through today, which was nice. Especially because it was an early game and he played nine innings after a later game yesterday, so a lot of baseball for him. Just want to see how he responds, but the reports as of now are that he came out of the game feeling really good."

Venable had his media briefing indoors because of rain. While the tarp is already off the field, the weather also kept the players indoors, which means that Noah Schultz had a bullpen session to test out his right knee about 30 feet away from the podium at which Venable was speaking. The sound of the mitt popping was hard to miss.

"That's a good sign and hopefully he feels good through this bullpen," Venable said. "There'll be another bullpen after this one and then we'll see what it looks like for him to get out on a rehab assignment."

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The Sox are 17-3 in their last 20 home games.

They have gone 5-4 since losing Munetaka Murakami to a hamstring strain.

First pitch: White Sox vs. Braves

TV: CHSN

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