Game Day Preview: White Sox Begin Series Against Cincinnati Reds

CINCINNATI – The White Sox are going back to a pitching strategy they implemented earlier in the season. Manager Will Venable plans to use left-hander Brandon Eisert as an opener for Tuesday's game against the Reds, followed usual starting pitcher Jonathan Cannon.

The team last used an opener April 29 in a 7-2 loss to the Brewers, when left-hander Tyler Gilbert opened the game before turning things over the right-hander Bryse Wilson. Gilbert has been used as an opener three times, and Tuesday will mark the second time Eisert has opened a game. He first did so on April 27 against the Athletics, allowing one run and two hits in one inning to begin a 3-2 loss.

Cannon has made seven starts and followed an opener once this season. He last did so on April 29 against the Athletics, a 10-3 win in which Cannon allowed three earned runs in 7.2 innings – his longest outing of the season. Gilbert opened that game with a scoreless inning, and Penn Murfee recorded the final out.

Venable talked pregame about the decision to use an opener.

"Had a good feeling that they were gonna do [TJ] Friedl and [Elly] De La Cruz in the top three, which they have against left-handed starters. So we get the matchup up front," Venable said. "And I think just as important, or even more important, is it gives Jon [Cannon] a chance to pitch really deep into the game. He's shown the ability to do that well, even without an opener, and with the opener he almost took it the length of the game for us."

The White Sox look to continue their momentum from over the weekend, when they won two of three games against the Marlins. The Reds have hit a rough patch, going 2-7 since May 3 with losses to the Nationals, Braves and Astros.

Here's more information on Tuesday's game.

How to watch White Sox vs. Reds

Who: Chicago White Sox (12-29) vs. Cincinnati Reds (20-22)
When: Tuesday, May 13. Target start time: 8:25 p.m. ET after rain delay.
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-200 and the White Sox money line odds are plus-168. On the run line, you can bet the White Sox plus-1.5 at minus-115 odds, and the Reds minus-1.5 at minus-104 odds. The over/under is 9.5 runs, according to the FanDuel Sportsbook.
Weather: At 6 p.m. CT in Cincinnati, the forecast is 71 degrees with a 34% chance of isolated thunderstorms and west winds at five mph. There's a 32% chance of rain at 7 p.m. and a 24% chance of rain at 8 p.m., according to weather.com.

Lineups

White Sox

Chase Meidroth, SS
Miguel Vargas, 3B
Edgar Quero, C
Luis Robert Jr., CF
Andrew Vaughn, DH
Lenyn Sosa, 2B
Tim Elko, 1B
Josh Rojas, LF
Michael A. Taylor, RF

Reds

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

Probable pitchers

The White Sox plan to use left-handed pitcher Brandon Eisert as an opener, followed by right-handed pitcher Jonathan Cannon in a bulk role. Eisert has opened one game and appeared out of the bullpen in 14 others, posting a 4.96 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. Cannon has started seven games and followed an opener once. Across 44 innings, he has a 4.09 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP with 17 walks and 33 strikeouts.
Reds LHP Andrew Abbott: 5 starts, 24 IP, 16 H, 6 ER, 12 BB, 31 BB, 2.25 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 2-0 record. In his last start against the Braves, Abbott pitched five shutout innings with four hits, zero walks and eight strikeouts.

Roster news

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.

After returning from a rehab assignment in Triple-A and being activated from the injured list, the White Sox designated Gage Workman (right hip flexor strain) for assignment.

The White Sox added right-handed pitcher Yoendrys Gomez to the 26-man roster and optioned right-handed pitcher Caleb Freeman to Triple-A. Outfielder Greg Jones was released when the White Sox claimed Gomez off waivers from the Dodgers. Gomez allowed 10 earned runs in 14.1 innings with 11 strikeouts and one save during stints with the Dodgers and Yankees this season.

Luis Robert Jr. (right knee soreness) and Miguel Vargas (calf/ankle) were not in the lineup on Saturday or Sunday, but they returned to the lineup Tuesday against the Reds. "Yeah, great. You know, they were banged up there toward the end of that run we had," Venable said. "I think it was 26 out of 27, and again just kind of the bumps and bruises you take along the way when you're out there every day. So for them to get three days off coming into this series, they feel great. Excited to have them back in the lineup."

Top hitters

White Sox: Lenyn Sosa leads the team with 36 hits, good for a .257 batting average. Andrew Benintendi, Luis Robert Jr. and Andrew Vaughn are tied for the team lead with five home runs, though Benintendi is on the injured list. Vaughn leads the White Sox with 17 RBI. Among players with at least 60 at-bats, Matt Thaiss has a team-high .719 OPS

Reds: Shortstop Elly De La Cruz leads the team with six home runs, 29 RBI, 26 runs, though TJ Friedl has a team-high 43 hits. Among players with at least 60 at-bats, Austin Hays leads the Reds with a 1.011 OPS, followed by Jose Trevino at .873 and Noelvi Marte at .857.

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.