Game Day Preview: White Sox Go For First Series Sweep Against Reds

CINCINNATI – The White Sox have played some of their best baseball of the season lately, winning three straight and four of the last five.

Thursday's game against the Reds marks their second chance at a sweep this season. They won the first two games of their home series against the Red Sox in April, but dropped the series finale 3-1.

The White Sox lineup look a bit different than usual with Edgar Quero, Chase Meidroth, Tim Elko and Michael A. Taylor all getting the day off. White Sox manager Will Venable resting after starting the last two games. Elko has started all four games since being called up from Triple-A, and he's 2-for-14 at the plate with one run, two hits, one home run, three RBI, zero walks and four strikeout.

"We gotta find spots for these guys and it's nothing about [Elko's] performance or anything. It's just how we kind of put together the lineup. He's not in there."

Meidroth was scratched from the lineup on May 9 due to right shoulder soreness, though it's unclear if his absence on Thursday is related.

"He's been grinding, a little beat up," Venable said. "So just kind of a day for him to recover a little bit."

Here's more information on Thursday's game.

How to watch White Sox vs. Reds

Who: Chicago White Sox (14-29) vs. Cincinnati Reds (20-24)
When: Thursday, May 15 at 12:40 p.m. ET
Where: Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, Ohio
TV: Chicago Sports Network (CHSN). For more information on how to watch CHSN, CLICK HERE.
Radio: ESPN Chicago WMVP 1000 AM
Betting information: The Reds are favored on the money line at minus-230 and the White Sox money line odds are plus-190. On the run line, you can bet the White Sox plus-1.5 at minus-102 odds, and the Reds minus-1.5 at minus-118 odds. The over/under is 9.5 runs, according to the FanDuel Sportsbook.
Weather: At noon in Cincinnati, the forecast is 80 degrees and partly cloudy with a 4% chance of rain and south winds at eight mph. There's a 5% chance of rain at 1 and 2 p.m., according to weather.com.

Lineups

White Sox

Miguel Vargas, 3B
Josh Rojas, 2B
Luis Robert Jr., CF
Andrew Vaughn, DH
Matt Thaiss, C
Lenyn Sosa, 1B
Joshua Palacios, RF
Brooks Baldwin, LF
Jake Amaya, SS

Reds

Gavin Lux, DH
Santiago Espinal, 3B
Elly De La Cruz, SS
Austin Hays, LF
Spencer Steer, 1B
Will Benson, CF
Tyler Stephenson, C
Matt McLain, 2B
Connor Joe, RF

Probable pitchers

White Sox RHP Bryse Wilson: 3 starts, 13 appearances, 27.2 IP, 35 H, 15 ER, 13 BB, 16 K, 4.88 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, 0-1 record. In his last start against the Marlins, Wilson pitched five innings with three hits, one earned run, two walks and one strikeout.
Reds RHP Nick Martinez: 8 starts, 44.2 IP, 47 H, 21 ER, 11 BB, 37 K, 4.23 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 1-4 record. In his last start against the Astros, Martinez pitched six innings with 10 hits, three earned runs, zero walks and five strikeouts.

Roster news

After being designated for assignment by the White Sox on Monday, Gage Workman cleared waivers and has been returned to the Detroit Tigers.

Outfielder Andrew Benintendi (10-day IL, left calf strain) ran and took swings before Wednesdays' game, but there's no timeline on his return. "Hopefully soon. Hard to say," Benintendi said. "If it was up to me, I'd be back right now. There's obviously a long way to go. So there's certain steps I've got to take, so hopefully soon."

White Sox No. 6 prospect Colson Montgomery has been transferred from the Arizona Complex League roster to Triple-A. He spent about two weeks in Arizona with an emphasis on individualized and developmental work after batting just .149 in his first 23 Triple-A games to begin the season. Assistant general manager Josh Barfield spoke extensively pregame about Montgomery's work in Arizona. To read that story, CLICK HERE.

Outfielder Austin Slater begins a rehab assignment Tuesday in Triple-A, and outfielder Mike Tauchman began his rehab assignment on Saturday. Venable shared an update on them before Tuesday's game. "They're both doing really well," Venable said. "Still, I think we have what we have mapped out, which is kind of through the week to go ahead and play. But I think we just acknowledge that we want to be in touch with how these guys are feeling on a day-to-day basis, and so not putting any hard timelines on anything. But they're both progressing well and feeling good."

Infielder Nick Maton has been sent outright to Triple-A Charlotte.

Top hitters

White Sox: Lenyn Sosa: 40 H; Luis Robert Jr.: 20 R, 17 SB; Robert, Andrew Vaughn, Andrew Benintendi all tied with 5 HR; Vaughn: 18 RBI; Among White Sox with at least 70 at-bats, Edgar Quero leads the way with a .296 batting average and a .728 OPS.

Reds: TJ Friedl, Elly De La Crus: 43 H; De La Cruz: 28 R, 7 HR, 30 RBI, 14 SB; Among Reds with at least 90 at-bats, Jose Trevino leads the way with a .308 batting average and an .856 OPS.

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.
Terry Francona, Reds: Francona, 66, is in his first season with the Reds. He stepped down from his position as the Guardians manager after the 2023 season, citing health issues. Francona managed Cleveland from 2013-23, winning four AL Central division titles, reaching the playoffs six times and posting a .549 winning percentage. He was previously the Boston Red Sox manager from 2004-11, winning two World Series titles. His first stint as a manager was from 1997-2000 with the Phillies. Francona played in MLB from 1981-90 with the Expos, Cubs, Reds, Indians and Brewers.