Pregame notes: Relief in limited supply

It's a big night for Sean Burke to go deep in his start, and not just because he got the Sox Machine feature treatment that every member of the organization covets. But because the Sox have yet to use any reliever on three-straight days this season, and deploying any of Bryan Hudson, Grant Taylor and Seranthony Domínguez would require them to break new ground. Not that there's necessarily a clamor rising for every member of that trio.

"Huddy is down, will probably have Seranthony and Taylor who may not be available and will have to find different guys to step up and pitch what we hope are meaningful innings today," Will Venable said. "We’ve talked about stretches like this, 19 [games in 20 days], and we’re going to ask guys to perform in roles that maybe they haven’t been asked to perform in."

After three scoreless frames on Saturday, only two of Sean Newcomb's last 11 outings have been a single inning or shorter, and one of them was because he got hit by a line drive. The Sox have discussed having Newcomb shift to a shorter outings, more frequently workload in the past, but Venable seemed hesitant to return to that route in response to struggles from his other high-leverage options.

"It’s a really good question and you kind of struggle with that more frequent outings for him in shorter stints, at the same time you’d like your best pitchers to throw the most innings and I think there’s a reason to apply that logic, too," Venable said. "The great thing about Newcomb is he is flexible and there has been the willingness and the ability to do different things at different times. If this next stretch calls for something different, I know he’ll be available and willing to do it."

Taylor certainly is talking like someone who doesn't expected to be used in Tuesday night's game, even when he's mostly just talking about why he's not overly concerned about allowing earned runs in each of his last three outings.

"The beauty of the relief role is I'll be back in there tomorrow," Taylor said. "I don't have five days to think about it. My team is expecting me to go back in there tomorrow and deliver a zero."

Once more saying he feels great physically and is recovering well, Taylor chalks up his recent struggles to simply not executing nor getting ahead of hitters, and doesn't think expanding his four-seamer/curveball pitch mix to left-handers beyond the occasional show-me slider, cutter or sinker is necessary. There is a minute mechanical cue that he will try to focus on to get himself back in the zone, but Taylor also felt his misses of the strike zone weren't by an amount that requires a major fix.

"The first pitch I threw to [Travis] Bazzana was an inch below the zone," Taylor said. "Maybe there's a different sight point, or I could be more over my back foot. But I don't think there's any crazy overhauls to do with my mechanics."

He feels fine, seems to be the larger takeaway.

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Kyle Teel is not in the lineup, but could easily be called upon to pinch-hit. There's a lefty on the mound for the Guardians, although Parker Messick is kind of a John Danks-style changeup artist with reverse splits, and Teel's absence is more about not rushing him to catch nine innings on back-to-back days just yet.

"The ramp-up for him has been so sporadic and choppy and brief," Venable said. "We want to make sure he’s getting his feet underneath him in a spot where he’s not catching in there every day. At the same time, we know what the catching position is, and that means you are not actually behind the plate every single day. But it is about not, up front, wanting to catch him so much."

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Speaking of being out of the lineup, Steve Stone will miss Tuesday night's broadcast with an illness. As a result, CHSN reporter Brooke Fletcher will fill in, and thus be the first female analyst in White Sox broadcast history. Good to see the Sox continuing to embrace a next woman up mentality.

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Venable largely tried to hide the ball on what the rotation will be for this weekend's series against the Royals, but suggested the open slot in the rotation was more likely to be a starting pitcher than another bullpen game. That won't be Noah Schultz, since he's scheduled for another rehab start at Triple-A Charlotte around that time. David Sandlin will have exceeded 15 days in the minors and could simply return. Mason Adams is scheduled to pitch on Wednesday for the Knights. We're just spitballin' here.

As always, sound off in the comments. We love all of you and appreciate your support, and don't think Ryan Galanie's batted ball metrics should get in the way of that.

First pitch: White Sox vs. Guardians

TV: CHSN

Radio: ESPN 1000 AM

Lineups: