Austin Hays Returns, Everson Pereira's Injury, and More White Sox Lineup Thoughts
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While the Chicago White Sox have already secured the series win, Wednesday afternoon gives them a shot at only their second sweep of 2026. The first shockingly came in their third series of the year against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Even more notable, the third-straight victory would move Chicago to 14-17 on the year. This could very well move them one step closer to a first-place standing in the AL Central. Both the Tigers and Guardians have failed to create much separation early this season, resulting in Sox currently sitting just 2.0 games back of the No. 1 spot.
As CHSN's Chuck Garfien noted, this is by far the closest they have been to the top of the division this far into the season in years. They were 11.5 games out last season, 13.5 games out in 2024, and nine games out in 2023. Slowly but surely, things are improving on the South Side!
Game Info
Who: Los Angeles Angels (12-19) at Chicago White Sox (13-17)
Where: Guaranteed Rate Field
When: 12:10 PM CT
Watch: Chicago Sports Network, MLB.TV
Listen: ESPN 1000
White Sox Lineup
1. Chase Meidroth, 2B
2. Miguel Vargas, 3B
3. Munetaka Murakami, 1B
4. Austin Hays, DH
5. Colson Montgomery, SS
6. Edgar Quero, C
7. Derek Hill, RF
8. Luisangel Acuña, SS
9. Sam Antonacci, LF
The Chicago White Sox have made several changes this afternoon against the Angels' lefty. Chase Meidroth and Edgar Quero are both back in the lineup, with Meidroth stepping into the lead-off spot for the first time since the finale against the Nationals. He has spent more and more time near the bottom of the order, with Andrew Benintendi finding some success at the top.
As for Quero, he re-enters the mix after Drew Romo's big night. The newest member of the active roster smashed both of his first two career home runs to help the Sox pull off the 5-2 win. A switch-hitter like Quero, one can't help but wonder if Romo's success may have warranted a second-straight start. Quero has struggled for the majority of the year with just a .169 batting average.
Quero has always done some of his best work against lefties, though, so manager Will Venable is surely hoping matchups like these can help break him out of the slump. If he can find a rhythm at some point soon, the Sox' surging offense is only going to look that much better. The second-year backstop showed last season that he can be one of their best contact threat.
Austin Hays is also making his first start since April 6. The veteran outfielder suffered a hamstring strain against the Baltimore Orioles, leading to his multi-week absence. For what it's worth, he was forced to check into Tuesday's outing after Everson Pereira exited the game but failed to make anything happen in his two at-bats. Still, the Sox are certainly happy to see him back in the fold. One of their most well-rounded players, Hays will add even more power to the middle of their order.
Speaking of Pereira, the Sox revealed that he is dealing with a shoulder injury. He has yet to be put on the IL, so there is some hope that he could find himself back in the fold at some point this week. Pereira has been a meaningful part of the Sox' turnaround offensively. Before going hitless in his previous two games, he had five hits in as many contests.
Angels Lineup
1. Zach Neto, SS
2. Mike Trout, CF
3. Yoan Moncada, 3B
4. Jorge Soler, DH
5. Jo Adell, RF
6. Josh Lowe, CF
7. Vaughn Grissom, 1B
8. Travis d'Arnaud, C
9. Adam Frazier, 2B
Pitching Matchup
White Sox – Erick Fedde, RHP
No opener for Erick Fedde this time around, who has seen the Sox go that route twice over his first five games. All things considered, he has put together a serviceable start to his second stint with the Sox organization, recording a 3.42 ERA. None of his metrics is going to wow you, especially the strikeout numbers. But he has done a decent job limiting his walks and forcing some easy outs. If one thing is for sure, though, he is never too likely to go deep into the game. The bullpen is going to have to be ready to carry their weight in this one.
Angels – Yusei Kikuchi, LHP
Yusei Kikuchi has left a lot to be desired this season. A lefty with some excellent extension, he hasn't been nearly as deceptive as the Angels would like. Opposing teams have been able to connect for some hard contact, as his groundball rate has dropped to a career low. With that said, Kikuchi uses a wide variety of pitches and does have a fastball that sits in the mid-to-high 90s. He's also still pretty decent at forcing swings and misses with his 86.1 mph slider, especially against fellow lefties.
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Elias Schuster is a sports journalist and content creator from the northern suburbs of Chicago. A graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he has covered the Bulls since 2019-20 and previously served as the editor of BN Bulls at Bleacher Nation. He has been the Publisher for Bulls On SI since December of the 2025-26 season. When he isn't obsessing over hoops, Elias spends his time obsessing over practically every other sport – much to his wife's dismay. He also loves strolling the streets of Chicago for the best cozy bar or restaurant to set up shop and write his next article.
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