Game Thread: White Sox at Brewers

It’s a Rule 5 reunion as Shane Smith gets the start against former club

Today at 3:10 p.m. CT, Chicago (8-15) takes on the Milwaukee Brewers (13-11) at the American Family Fields of Phoenix. So far, Spring Training has provided mixed results for the White Sox, with the team struggling to find consistency. In their most recent matchup on Monday, they fell 3-0 to the San Francisco Giants, highlighting the ongoing offensive challenges that have plagued them all throughout camp.

There aren’t any new roster moves to update, but the team store at The Rate got a makeover.

It’s also Media Preview Day at the ballpark, and Hannah LaMotta and Allie Wesel are there repping South Side Sox. They will have a full review of the new food offerings up here soon, so stay tuned!

This afternoon, South Side fans will get another look at Rule 5 Draft pickup Shane Smith as he gets the start. The Good Guys grabbed the righthander from the Milwaukee Brewers in December. The Brew Crew signed the 24-year-old as an undrafted free agent in 2021. Here at South Side Sox, we have Smith ranked as our No. 38 prospect. He had an impressive 2024 season in Double-A and Triple-A, highlighted by a 3.05 ERA and a 1.049 WHIP across 32 games (16 starts) and 94 1⁄3 innings. The righty features a three-pitch arsenal: fastball, cutter/slider, and curveball. In his three starts this spring, he’s 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA and 0.750 WHIP with nine strikeouts and three walks over 6 2⁄3 innings.

On the offensive side, Andrew Benintendi is coming back from injury today. Benny broke a bone in his hand after being hit by a pitch on February 27. At that time, reports were that he would miss 4-6 weeks, and it’s not even been three weeks. So, we’ll see how this goes. Seems a bit rushed for a team that really doesn’t need to hurry him back.

Here’s how manager Will Venable lines them up today.

Skipper Pat Murphy sends Aaron Civale to the bump for the Brewers. The Tampa Bay Rays traded Civale to Milwaukee on July 3, 2024, and he helped them clinch the NL Central by going 6-3 with a 3.53 ERA and 1.22 WHIP for them down the stretch.

There are quite a few everyday players in the lineup this afternoon for the Brew Crew.

There are no broadcasts available for today’s game unless you are in the Milwaukee area and can tune into WKTI for the audio. That means it’s another Gameday follow for me today. Check back later this evening for my full recap.