Game Day Preview: Shane Smith To Make MLB Debut As White Sox Host Twins
CHICAGO – White Sox reliever Mike Vasil made his MLB debut on Monday, and it's starter Shane Smith's turn on Tuesday. Smith earned a spot in the rotation after 10.2 innings in spring training with four earned runs, five hits, four walks and 11 strikeouts.
Vasil said he tried to stay as calm as possible and take a few deep breaths once he got to the mound, but that only went so far. It was only 39 degrees when the game began, but that was no issue for the lineup or pitching staff.
"I’m used to pitching in cold weather as well, being from the Northeast," Vasil said Tuesday. "But even regardless of that in your major-league debut, I wasn’t feeling a thing."
Vasil tossed two scoreless innings with two hits, no walks and a strikeout in the 9-0 win, following Martín Pérez's six no-hit innings to start the game. Pérez and fellow starters Sean Burke, Jonathan Cannon and Davis Martin have set a high standard to begin the season.
Those four have combined to pitch 23 innings with no earned runs. That makes the White Sox the fourth team to have a starting pitcher go five-plus innings without allowing an earned run in each of the first four games of a season since earned runs became an official stat in 1913, joining the 2019 Toronto Blue Jays, the 2013 San Francisco Giants, and the 1976 Milwaukee Brewers.
Vasil is looking forward to seeing another teammate make his MLB debut.
"No advice, but [Smith] was great. He was like, ‘How’d it feel?’ Obviously his day is [Tuesday]. When I came in, he’s like, ‘How’s it feel out there?’ I was like, ‘Dude, it’s gonna be pretty cool,’ so I’m really excited to watch him [Tuesday] night," Vasil said.
Here's more information on Tuesday's game.
How to watch White Sox vs. Twins
- Who: Chicago White Sox (2-2) vs. Minnesota Twins (0-4)
- When: Tuesday, April 1, 2025 at 6:40 p.m. CT
- Where: Rate Field in Chicago, Ill.
- TV: Chicago Sports Network (CHSN)
- Announcers: John Schriffen (play-by-play), Steve Stone (analyst), Brooke Fletcher (reporter)
- Radio: ESPN Chicago WMVP 1000 AM
- Announcers: Len Kasper (play-by-play), Darrin Jackson (analyst), Jeff Meller (pre and postgame show)
- Point spread: The Twins are favored by 1.5 runs, and the over/under is 7.5 runs. The White Sox money line odds are plus-140, according to the FanDuel Sportsbook.
- Weather: At 6 p.m. Tuesday in Chicago, the forecast is 42 degrees and cloudy with a 4% chance of rain and east-northeast winds at 13 miles per hour, according to weather.com.
Lineups
White Sox
- Nick Maton, DH
- Luis Robert, CF
- Andrew Vaughn, 1B
- Andrew Benintendi, LF
- Miguel Vargas, 3B
- Lenyn Sosa, 2B
- Brooks Baldwin, SS
- Austin Slater, RF
- Korey Lee, C
Twins
- Matt Wallner, RF
- Carlos Correa, SS
- Byron Buxton, CF
- Trevor Larnach, LF
- Ryan Jeffers, C
- Ty France, 1B
- Willi Castro, 2B
- Edouard Julien, DH
- Jose Miranda, 3B
Tuesday's starting pitchers
(2024 stats)
- White Sox RHP Shane Smith: 94.1 IP, 3.05 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 29 BB, 113 K in Double-A and Triple-A
- Twins RHP Simeon Woods Richardson: 133.2 IP, 4.17 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 48 BB, 117 K
News
White Sox outfielder Mike Tauchman (10-day IL, right hamstring strain) and left-handed pitcher Tyler Gilbert (15-day IL, left knee bursitis) are scheduled to start rehab assignments Tuesday with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights.
"Tauchman, it should be a few days," Venable said before Monday's game. "We want to be, one, responsible with his health and make sure that he builds up volume on his legs and can get through it and recover the right way. And at the same time, get at-bats to be prepared. We're going to be flexible with that, though, so it might be three-four days. We're not going to put a hard timeline on it."
"And then Gilbert has a plan too, and I'm not exactly sure what his schedule is," Venable continued. "But it'll be a few outings there to make sure the same thing, that he's healthy but also built up and ready to go when he is there."
Infielder Josh Rojas (10-day IL, right toe fracture) is further away from returning.
"I think he’s still feeling it," Venable said Monday. "Texted with him yesterday. I think there's just some pain there still that, he's got a broken toe. So, it's going to hurt a little bit and kind of at the mercy of that bone healing. He's a tough guy. The pain tolerance is there, he just can't do the things that he wants to do on the field and he's hurt a little bit. So, we're going to be patient with it. He wants to be here more than anybody as soon as possible. But, we're kind of just taking that one day by day, too."
In other roster news, the White Sox have traded pitcher Jake Eder to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for cash considerations, the team announced Monday. Eder was designated for assignment by the White Sox on Thursday. The White Sox acquired Eder in August 2023 when they traded Jake Burger to the Miami Marlins.
Eder made his major-league debut with the White Sox on Sept. 17, 2024. He allowed two hits and one run while walking one batter, hitting one by pitch and striking out one in two innings. That was his lone appearance with the White Sox.
Managers
- Will Venable, White Sox: Venable, 42, is in his first season with the White Sox and first year as an MLB manager. He was previously an associate manager for the Texas Rangers from 2023-24 and on the coaching staffs for the Boston Red Sox from 2021-22 and Chicago Cubs from 2018-20. An outfielder during his playing days, Venable began his career with the San Diego Padres from 2008-15 and later played for the Texas Rangers in 2015 and Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016. He had a .249 batting average in 967 career games. Venable graduated from Princeton University, where he played baseball and basketball.
- Rocco Baldelli, Minnesota Twins: Baldelli, 43, is in his seventh season as an MLB manager, all with the Twins. He entered the season with a .525 win percentage, three AL Central titles and three playoff appearances. Baldelli won his first playoff series as a manager in 2023 before losing in the ALDS. In his first season, he was named 2019 AL manager of the year as Minnesota went 101-61, the most wins of his managerial career. Baldelli played for the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox from 2003-10.
Related stories on the Chicago White Sox
- WHITE SOX BEAT TWINS 9-0: Martín Pérez tossed six no-hit innings while the White Sox scored nine runs off Chris Paddack in the first three innings. CLICK HERE
- WHITE SOX-ANGELS TRADE: The White Sox traded pitcher Jake Eder to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for cash considerations, the team announced Monday. CLICK HERE
- INJURY UPDATE: White Sox manager Will Venable commented Monday on the timeline for outfielder Mike Tauchman, left-handed pitcher Tyler Gilbert and infielder Josh Rojas to return from the injured list. CLICK HERE
- GAME DAY PREVIEW: The White Sox begin a new series Monday against the Minnesota Twins at Rate Field. Here are the TV and radio details, probable pitchers, lineups, roster news, quotes from White Sox starter Martin Perez and more. CLICK HERE
- BOSSARD DISCUSSES RAIN DELAY: Sunday's game between the White Sox and Angels was delayed for two hours and 48 minutes, but head groundskeeper Roger Bossard and his crew got the field in condition to finish the game. CLICK HERE
