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Chicago Tribune
6 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago White Sox get walked off by the Los Angeles Angels and Miguel Vargas lands on the injured list
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable knew about eight minutes before Saturday's game that the team would be without infielder Miguel Vargas. 'A little scramble, but that's what we do,' Venable said before Sunday's game. 'It's all about adjustments.' The adjustments continued Sunday when the Sox placed Vargas on 10-day injured list (retroactive to Saturday) with a left oblique strain and recalled infielder Curtis Mead from Triple-A Charlotte. Vargas felt something during his last round of batting practice on Saturday. 'I didn't think it was anything crazy,' Vargas said Sunday. 'We always have (a) little something everywhere. I thought it wasn't that bad. And then in the cage (hitting before the game), I wasn't feeling good.' Vargas has a positive mindset. 'Everybody's process is different,' he said. 'I feel better than yesterday, for sure. I don't feel that bad. Hopefully I can come back soon.' He watched as the Sox suffered a tough loss Sunday, falling 8-5 to the Los Angeles Angels in front of 30,963 at Angel Stadium. Taylor Ward hit a game-ending three-run home run in the ninth. The Sox built a five-run lead — with four coming in the first inning. The Angels chipped away, scoring three in the sixth and two in the seventh to tie the score. Ward ended it with the three-run home run off reliever Tyler Alexander. 'It was kind of a tale of two games,' Venable said. 'First five innings, offense did a great job. (Starter Sean) Burke was outstanding, fastball was great. And then, it really just turned there. Offensively, we kind of stalled out and they had the momentum and we just didn't seem to be able to get any outs.' Burke allowed three runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and two walks in five-plus innings. All three runs came in the sixth when the four batters he faced reached. 'Felt good all day with my stuff,' Burke said. 'Frustrating to kind of end it like that, but one I could build off of going forward.' Colson Montgomery had a three-run home run and an RBI single in the loss. The Sox (42-70) had to settle for taking two of three from the Angels. They'll continue the trip on Tuesday in Seattle without the availability of Vargas, who said this marks the first time he's been on the injured list. '(Vargas) has been one of our guys the whole year,' Venable said. 'Leader in the clubhouse, leader on the field. A performer on the field. Especially after a tough start. We're going to miss him a lot, at least he'll be around, he can still impact the club and give us some energy, which he always does. It's a tough blow for us with everything he means for us on the field.' Vargas has a .229/.305/.402 slash line with 25 doubles, 13 home runs, 44 RBIs and 57 runs in 106 games this season. He is slashing .314/.352/.549 (16-for-51) with three doubles, three home runs, nine RBIs and 11 runs over his last 12 games. 'I've been working on a lot of things the whole year, I feel like I've been grinding the whole year,' Vargas said. 'It kind of sucks having this step back at this point of the season, but I want to be 100% when I come back to the field.' Vargas will try to aid the team in any way he can. 'I want to be on the field with my team, especially (at) this moment,' he said. 'We are playing so much better baseball and I've been really enjoying winning baseball games. Right now, for me, it's be on the bench and support my teammates the best way I can.' The Sox will mix and match in a variety of ways in the infield while Vargas, who has made 58 starts at third base and 42 at first base, is out of action. Brooks Baldwin filled in at third while Lenyn Sosa played first on Saturday and Sunday. Josh Rojas, who was originally slated to start at third on Saturday, shifted to second. He was at that position again on Sunday. 'We'll look at matchups and what it means on a given day, knowing that it can change,' Venable said. 'But we have some flexibility with Baldwin, Rojas, Sosa and now Mead in the mix. We'll see how it all shakes out.' The Sox acquired Mead on Thursday as part of the trade that sent pitcher Adrian Houser to the Tampa Bay Rays. Mead, 24, is 4-for-7 (.571) with two doubles, three walks, two RBIs and two runs in two games with Charlotte. He is slashing .300/.391/.517 with four doubles, three home runs, nine RBIs and 12 runs in 16 games between Charlotte and Triple-A Durham this season. He slashed .226/.318/.339 with three home runs, eight RBIs and 14 runs in 49 games with the Rays in 2025. 'Excited about Curtis,' Venable said. 'Versatility in the infield, can play second base, both corners. Probably prefer him on the corners in the infield. A right-handed bat with above-average bat speed. Really excited to have him.' The Sox claimed left-handed pitcher Bryan Hudson and right-hander Elvis Peguero off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday and designated right-hander Jesse Scholtens for assignment. Hudson and Peguero were both optioned to Charlotte. Hudson, 26, was designated for assignment by the Brewers on July 31 after going 0-1 with a 4.35 ERA, 12 walks and 13 strikeouts in 12 relief appearances this season. Peguero, 28, was designated for assignment by the Brewers on July 31 after posting a 4.91 ERA and five strikeouts in six relief appearances during two stints with the major-league team in 2025. The Sox also released veteran pitcher Noah Syndergaard, who had reached Charlotte with the organization. He had a 10.13 ERA in two starts for the Knights.
Chicago Tribune
7 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Luis Robert Jr. feels ‘a weight off your shoulders' after staying with Chicago White Sox at trade deadline
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. knew there was a possibility he would be traded. 'But my hope was always to stay here,' Robert said through an interpreter Friday while sitting in the visitors dugout at Angel Stadium. Robert remained with the Sox as Thursday's trade deadline passed. 'Definitely you feel like a weight off your shoulders now,' he said. 'Relief and just knowing I'm going to stay here for the rest of the year is something that makes me feel very happy.' Robert continued his productive second half Friday, going 1-for-3 with an RBI, a stolen base and a run in the 6-3 victory against the Los Angeles Angels. After hitting a sacrifice fly to center in the fourth inning, he led off the eighth with a single, stole second and scored on Lenyn Sosa's single to extend the Sox lead to 5-3. Before the game, Robert said he was 'ready for any possibility' as the trade deadline got closer. Teammates were thrilled Robert wasn't on the move. 'It was awesome,' starting pitcher Davis Martin told the Tribune on Friday. 'When he got on the bus, we started clapping. Excited, hooting and hollering. 'Everybody really enjoys being around him and being in his presence. To have him in the locker room still is great. It's exciting and always fun when (No.) 88 is playing center field for you.' Robert appreciated the support from his teammates. 'It has been the only organization that I've been at, the only organization I know,' he said. 'And to be honest with you, I just wanted to stay here because I like the group here and would like to be part of this group, this organization moving forward.' Manager Will Venable was glad to continue writing Robert's name in the Sox lineup. 'Happy we were able to keep Luis,' Venable said before Friday's game. 'I know there's obvious interest, and one of the narratives going into this deadline was what was going to happen with him. 'Glad we were able to keep him and also glad the deadline is behind us and these guys can continue to focus on playing good baseball, which we continued to do leading up to the deadline. All good stuff.' Venable described the final days before the deadline from a managerial perspective as wanting 'to see what the unknown has to offer, but at the same time we're so busy trying to focus on the Phillies and the Cubs before that.' 'For me, it was about baseball,' Venable added. 'At the same time knowing we have some guys who are in the news a lot and had the potential to be moved. Wanted to make sure they're in a good spot and check in with them. Otherwise, just focus on winning games.' Robert has aided in that area. Entering Saturday he was hitting .400 (14-for-35) with two home runs, nine RBIs, six stolen bases and 13 runs in 10 games since the All-Star break. 'Luis is an outstanding player, a great guy, great contributor in the clubhouse and obviously on the field,' Venable said. 'Love to have him, certainly glad we've got him beyond the break. 'Everybody wants a guy like Luis on their team.' Robert, who overall is hitting .215 with 11 home runs, 44 RBIs, 28 stolen bases and 41 runs in 89 games, didn't let the speculation become a distraction. As for what's next, the Sox hold a $20 million option for 2026 (and another for 2027) on Robert with $2 million buyouts. 'We anticipate him being here,' general manager Chris Getz said Thursday. 'If we felt otherwise, maybe we go a different course. We feel like we're continuing to strengthen the infrastructure on the hitting side. We're not quite there yet. We're going to continue to exhaust our efforts. 'And establishing ourselves as a top hitting environment, that's a big part of this offseason and the coming years. And we feel like Luis Robert is going to be a part of that and he's really going to benefit with having the resources and the support that's needed — and most importantly he's a talented player. 'Elite bat speed, elite foot speed. This is a player that we feel like has a lot of great days ahead of him.' Robert, who turns 28 on Sunday, is focusing on what he can control. 'I'm just ready to perform and keep doing my job,' he said. 'At the end of the day, they have to do what they have to do and I have to do what I'm supposed to do.' The Sox placed reliever Dan Altavilla on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a right lat strain. The right-hander has a 2.36 ERA, .187 opponents average, two saves and 17 strikeouts in 25 appearances. In the corresponding move, the Sox recalled pitcher Owen White from Triple-A Charlotte. Additionally, the Sox returned pitcher Jesse Scholtens from his injury rehabilitation assignment at Charlotte, reinstated him from the 60-day IL and optioned him to Charlotte. Scholtens had been on the 60-day IL since undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in March 2024. The Sox announced infielder Ryan Noda was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles.
Chicago Tribune
28-07-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
3 Chicago White Sox City Series takeaways, including costly errors in Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Cubs
Andrew Benintendi described Sunday as 'the first day in a while I squared up a few balls.' The Chicago White Sox left fielder homered twice in the 5-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs in the rubber match of the Rate Field portion of the City Series in front of 38,036. Benintendi hit a solo home run in the first. His three-run home run in the eighth cut the deficit to one. The Sox brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth, but Lenyn Sosa grounded into a force play to end the game. 'We lost the series, so obviously we're not happy with that,' manager Will Venable said. 'We thought coming in we put ourselves in a good position. You win the first one, you like your chances to get one of the next two to win the series. So we have things that we have to continue to work on and get better at and regroup here and go to work (Monday) on the (Philadelphia) Phillies.' Here are three takeaways from Sunday's game. Third baseman Colson Montgomery had a fielding error in the second inning on Sunday. Shortstop Chase Meidroth had a throwing error in the sixth. Neither error came back to cost the Sox. But a mental miscue in the third drained the momentum of what could have been a big inning. The Sox had runners on first and second with one out. Meidroth hit a popup and was automatically out when the infield fly rule was called. Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner let the ball drop. Sosa, who was on second, took off for third base even though he did not have to. He was thrown out to complete an inning-ending double play. 'That's a play we talk about a lot and he just got stuck, a little bit of a mental error there where he didn't see the call being made,' Venable said. 'But that's kind of an automatic one where you know that ball is out. He's got to do a better job on that and he knows that and we discussed it.' Then the lack of execution during a pair of rundowns cost the Sox a run in the eighth. The Cubs had runners at first and second with two outs. Catcher Edgar Quero threw to first to try to get Hoerner in a back pick. A rundown followed. Ian Happ took off for home and got caught in a rundown himself when the Sox threw to the plate. Happ ran into Montgomery on the way back to third and the third baseman was called for interference. Happ was awarded home, extending the Cubs' lead to 5-1. 'Two rundowns where we really didn't execute either of them,' Venable said. 'The first one, (first baseman Miguel Vargas has) got to do a better job of getting Hoerner going. (The second baseman) Sosa's got to cut the distance. And then obviously you can't have an obstruction call. 'We've got to do a better job on the second rundown, too. We know if you don't execute plays like that it's going to hurt you. Today was a good example of that.' Luis Robert Jr. initially wasn't in Sunday's starting lineup after missing the first two games of the City Series because of right adductor tightness. But he later received the OK to return as the designated hitter. 'The initial evaluation, he came in feeling better but still not in a spot where he could get out there in center field,' Venable said before the game. 'We wanted to keep him plugged in and give him the opportunity to run around more, and he did. 'We talked about it, and he really talked his way into the lineup after that. We agreed that maybe center field wasn't the best thing for him but that we could utilize his bat and that he was good to go to DH. We ended up making the change.' Robert went 0-for-3. 'Physically, he's still getting there,' Venable said after the game. 'But I thought there was good, competitive swings, competitive at-bats and nice to see him out there.' Robert got hit by a pitch in the ninth. X-rays on his right forearm were negative. All eyes are on Robert, who has been mentioned in trade speculation. The trade deadline is Thursday. Grant Taylor made his second career start on Sunday, serving as the opener. He ran into some trouble in the first inning, allowing a double with one out to Kyle Tucker and then walking Seiya Suzuki. Pete Crow-Armstrong then went the other way with a hit just inside the third-base line. Tucker scored easily and the ball slowed up enough in foul territory to allow Suzuki to score from first. Taylor allowed two runs on two hits with two strikeouts and one walk in one inning. 'That double they got in the first inning was a weird little hit by PCA,' said pitcher Sean Burke, who followed Taylor. 'Grant is doing everything he can and his stuff looked good.' Burke allowed two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and one walk in 4 2/3 innings. Both runs came with two outs in the sixth, an RBI single by Hoerner followed by an RBI double from Matt Shaw to give the Cubs a 4-1 lead. 'Just frustrating not being able to finish that fifth inning (of work),' Burke said. 'I'm able to get out of that, got Hoerner down to (a) two-strike count and one more strike, one more out to get through that inning. If I'm able to clean that up, then we win that game instead of losing it by one run.'
Chicago Tribune
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Traits the Chicago White Sox are looking to sustain from a post-All-Star break offensive outburst
TAMPA, Fla. — Chicago White Sox infielder Miguel Vargas homered in consecutive games on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates and Monday against the Tampa Bay Rays. But a third-inning walk Monday also stood out to manager Will Venable. Vargas faced Rays starter Shane Baz with two on and no outs. He took a low knuckle curve for a ball and a cutter on the outside corner for a strike. Vargas took another low knuckle curve for a ball and a four-seam fastball that again nipped the corner for a strike. Vargas laid off a cutter in the dirt, running the count full. He then fouled off a 97.8 mph high fastball. Baz went back to the knuckle curve, and Vargas didn't bite, taking the pitch just off the corner of the plate for ball four. 'It wasn't a hit, but it was the commitment to being on time, being ready, fouled off some tough pitches and took some tough pitches and put himself in a really good spot to keep the line moving,' Venable said on Tuesday. Luis Robert Jr. came through with a two-run single later in the inning. Vargas then scored on a fielder's choice, part of a three-run inning in the 8-3 win at George M. Steinbrenner Field. 'I felt like (Vargas' at-bat) was a really good example of the quality we've been getting in between these at-bats where we are slugging a little bit more,' Venable said. The Sox had a historic spurt after returning to action, becoming the first team in major-league history to win each of their first four games out of All-Star break by five-plus runs. They scored 35 runs in the four-game span, their most since scoring 38 from Sept. 7-10, 2022, against the Seattle Mariners (Sept. 7) and Oakland Athletics. The 35 runs were tied for the second-most coming out of the break in team history, two shy of the franchise record of 37 by the 1977 club. The Sox scored at least seven runs in each of the four contests, their longest stretch of scoring seven-plus runs since accomplishing the feat in five consecutive games from June 27-July 2, 2021. The streak ended with Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Rays. But along the way, Venable saw traits he hopes will be transferrable going forward for the team. 'I think just the commitment to the mentality,' Venable said. 'I think as a group, we're finding different ways to get to what we've been talking about all year — and that's the fastball performance. It's taken some time here, but I think that's part of this and just trying to figure out our group and what makes them tick and how to get the best out of them. 'A lot of that is them figuring it out amongst themselves and holding themselves accountable and collectively finding an approach that works for our group. Obviously they've been doing that.' The Sox came out swinging immediately after the break, clobbering the Pirates 10-1 on Friday at PNC Park. Edgar Quero and Robert homered as part of an 11-hit attack. They collected 13 hits the next night in a 10-4 victory. It was the first time the Sox had scored at least 10 runs in back-to-back games since Aug. 26-27, 2021, (against the Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs), the first time against the same opponent since April 24-25, 2017, against the Kansas City Royals and the first time on the road since June 18-19, 2004, at Montreal. Vargas hit a three-run home run in the first inning, and was followed by a Mike Tauchman home run that reached the Allegheny River during Sunday's 7-2 win. The Sox had 10 more hits in that game, earning their first series sweep of the season. Brooks Baldwin and Vargas homered in Monday's 8-3 victory against the Rays. 'One through nine we had really good, quality at-bats the entire day,' said infielder Chase Meidroth, who had four — three doubles — of the team's 11 hits. While the offensive numbers were impressive, starters and relievers made big pitches during the stretch to keep the momentum on the Sox side. It was a stretch the entire team could use to illustrate contributions. 'I just think everybody is locked into their roles, and everybody is just really playing team baseball,' infielder Colson Montgomery said on Tuesday. 'I don't think we're really seeing any selfishness or anything like that, and I think that just comes from how our guys operate. We want to win. And once we came out of the break and got those good wins in Pittsburgh, it kind of gave us a little bit of what we can do and kind of showed what we can do. 'We're a really good offensive team, and same thing with our pitching — all around, I think we've done a really good job.' The Sox signed all 20 of their 2025 MLB draft picks, the team announced on Wednesday. Financial terms were not disclosed, but MLB Pipeline's Jim Callis reported signing bonuses for several of the players — including first-round pick shortstop Billy Carlson ($6,235,900), second-round selection and Nazareth product outfielder Jaden Fauske ($2,997,500), third-round shortstop Kyle Lodise ($925,000) and fourth-round catcher Landon Hodge ($1,097,500). The Sox selected Carlson with the No. 10 pick. ranks the 18-year-old as the No. 7 overall prospect in the draft class. Carlson had a .365/.517/.647 slash line with four doubles, six home runs, 34 RBIs, 33 runs and a 1.164 OPS in 31 games with Corona (Calif.) High School this season. The Sox also announced the signings of three undrafted free agents in left-handed pitcher Jackson Nove (University of Kentucky), outfielder James Taussig (University of Texas at San Antonio) and catcher Steven Lancia (University of Texas Rio Grande Valley).
Chicago Tribune
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
3 questions the Chicago White Sox face after the All-Star break, including who will be traded by the deadline
Will Venable has soaked in a lot while navigating his first season as a major-league manager. 'One of the biggest things is as we try to go out every day and put our best foot forward and put these players out there in the best spots to succeed, being mindful of what that means long term is also significant,' Venable said Sunday. 'For me to deploy these guys the right way, get the usages right, is something I'm always trying to calibrate, always trying to get right. 'There's been a lot of lessons along the way, where I've learned from things that I've done or haven't done and continued to try and be better in that way.' From the field to the dugout, there were several fresh faces throughout the first half of the 2025 season for the Chicago White Sox — including Venable. Even away from the field, the biggest story surrounding the organization came in the form of the long-term investment agreement announced in June that establishes a framework for Justin Ishbia to obtain a future controlling interest in the club. On the field, the Sox look to be in position to avoid repeating history following last year's record-setting 121-loss season. The Colorado Rockies (22-74) are on pace to shatter that mark. But the Sox still sit last in the American League Central with a 32-65 record. There have been a lot of close losses along the way. The Sox are 8-22 in one-run games and 4-14 in contests decided by two runs. The games resume Friday as the Sox begin a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Here are three questions as action picks back up after the All-Star break. Luis Robert Jr. has been in a season-long funk. But the center fielder is still one of the names to watch as the July 31 trade deadline approaches. Robert, who turns 28 on Aug. 3, is slashing .190/.275/.325 with nine home runs and 35 RBIs in 79 games. His contract includes $20 million club options in 2026 and 2027, with $2 million buyouts for both seasons. If Robert gets going in the right direction, he could provide a spark for a club during the stretch run. But he's just 8-for-46 (.174) in his last 16 games. Robert could be part of an active trade deadline for the Sox. Starter Adrian Houser also has been mentioned in trade speculation. The right-hander has been phenomenal since signing a one-year deal with the Sox on May 20, going 5-2 with a 1.56 ERA in nine starts. Houser allowed one earned run over 22 innings in his last three starts. He is scheduled to start Saturday. How many more he has with the club is an intriguing question. Rookie Shane Smith represented the Sox at the All-Star Game. He became the seventh Sox rookie — and first rookie pitcher — to earn an All-Star nod. The right-hander made his final start before the All-Star break on July 11, allowing two runs while striking out five in three innings during Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians. Smith and Venable said the short start was by design. 'They make that decision for my benefit,' Smith said after the outing. Smith has pitched 86 2/3 innings this season, and the Sox have his workload in mind. 'We have to find ways to be creative, we have to find ways to do the right thing,' Venable said on July 11. 'Without getting too far down the road, we'll explore all the options to make sure we're putting the right calculus into the decision on how to go about protecting him.' Young starters Sean Burke, Jonathan Cannon and Davis Martin are facing similar circumstances. It's one of the reasons the Sox acquired Aaron Civale from the Milwaukee Brewers, adding a veteran with the ability to accumulate innings. The Sox will have to do more maneuvering as the season carries on. Smith was one of 11 Sox players who made their major-league debut during the first half. Only the Athletics (12) entered the final day before the All-Star break with more debuts this season. The list of Sox players also includes catchers Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero. 'I have to keep my head down, and keep grinding every day and focus on the process,' Teel said on July 12 at Rate Field. Right-hander Grant Taylor has been electric in relief work, displaying a 100-mph fastball. The recent double-play combination has featured Chase Meidroth at second base and Colson Montgomery at shortstop. Meidroth, called up from Triple A on April 11, is third on the team with 63 hits and second with 32 walks. Montgomery, the team's first-round pick in 2021, is 7-for-28 (.250) since being called up on July 4. The opportunities will continue for those players. Their progression will be worth monitoring.
