Game Day Preview: Miguel Vargas Returns To Leadoff Spot Against Athletics

Left-hander Tyler Gilbert will be the opener for a second straight game as the White Sox face the Athletics. Here's the game day preview, including the probable pitchers, lineups, roster news, TV and radio details, weather forecast and more.

Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas (20) throws to first at Rate Field. | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

Following a narrow 6-5 loss Friday night, the White Sox are rolling with a similar strategy to begin Saturday's game. Left-hander Tyler Gilbert will serve as the opener for a second straight game after tossing a scoreless first inning with one hit, no walks and two strikeouts on Friday.

Manager Will Venable is also going back to third baseman Miguel Vargas in the leadoff spot. Vargas led off in 10 of the first 17 games, but he hasn't done so since April 16. He got off to a slow start this season, batting .139 through the first 22 games. But after some adjustments to his swing and approach, Vargas has five hits in the last three games.

Vargas and the White Sox face a familiar pitcher on Saturday. On April 15, left-hander Jeffrey Springs started against the White Sox at Rate Field. The Athletics wound up with a stress-free 12-3 win, but the White Sox got to Springs with three hits, three runs and three walks across five innings. The big hit came from Andrew Vaughn, a game-tying three-run home run in the first.

When seeing an opposing pitcher for the second time in such a short time frame, there's the question of whether hitters benefit from knowing what to expect, or if the pitchers have learned how to attack the opposing lineup. We'll find out the answer when Springs takes the mound for the second time against the White Sox.

Here's more information on Saturday's game.

How to watch White Sox vs. Athletics

• Who: Chicago White Sox (6-20) vs. Athletics (13-13)
• When: Saturday, April 26 at 3:05 p.m. CT
• Where: Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, Calif.
• TV: Chicago Sports Network (CHSN). For more information on how to watch CHSN, CLICK HERE.
• Radio: ESPN Chicago WMVP 1000 AM
• Betting information: The Athletics are favored on the money line at minus-245, and the White Sox money line odds are plus-200. On the run line, you can bet the White Sox plus-1.5 at plus-106 odds, and the Athletics minus-1.5 at minus-128 odds. The over/under is nine runs, according to the FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Weather: At 5 p.m. PT in West Sacramento, the forecast is 60 degrees and cloudy with a 15% chance of rain and west-southwest winds at six mph. There's a 24% chance of rain at 6 and 7 p.m., according to weather.com.

Lineups

White Sox

1. Miguel Vargas, 3B
2. Luis Robert Jr., CF
3. Edgar Quero, C
4. Andrew Vaughn, DH
5. Lenyn Sosa, 2B
6. Michael A. Taylor, RF
7. Brooks Baldwin, LF
8. Bobby Dalbec, 1B
9. Jake Amaya, SS

Athletics

1. Jacob Wilson, SS
2. Brent Rooker, RF
3. Tyler Soderstrom, DH
4. Miguel Andujar, LF
5. JJ Bleday, CF
6. Luis Urias, 2B
7. Nick Kurtz, 1B
8. Gio Urshela, 3B
9. Jhonny Pereda, C

Starting pitchers

• White Sox LHP Tyler Gilbert (opener): 6.2 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 10 K, 6.75 ERA, 1.35 WHIP. RHP Jonathan Cannon is expected to follow Gilbert. Through five starts and 24.1 innings, Cannon has a 4.81 ERA.
• Athletics LHP Jeffrey Springs: 5 starts, 22.1 IP, 23 H, 14 ER, 14 BB, 23 K, 5.64 ERA, 1.65 WHIP. In his last start against the Brewers, Springs gave up four earned runs in 2.1 innings.

Roster news

• Prior to Saturday's game, the White Sox acquired infielder Gage Workman from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for cash considerations and designated infielder Nick Maton for assignment.

• Venable commented before Thursday's game on Chase Meidroth's injury. "Checked in with him yesterday, seems like he’s in good spirits," Venable said. "I know that he’s a baseball player that likes to be on the field playing so I’m sure he’s missing being out there but he’s doing good." 

• Left-handed pitcher Fraser Ellard (15-day IL, right hamstring strain) began a rehab assignment Wednesday in Triple-A Charlotte.

• Venable provided updates on injured players Chase Meidroth (thumb), Martín Pérez (flexor strain) and Korey Lee (ankle) prior to Tuesday's game. For more information on their injuries, click on each player's name.

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.
• Mark Kotsay, Athletics: Kotsay, 49, is in his fourth season with the Athletics. He had a 179-307 record across his first three seasons, including two last-place finishes in the AL West and a fourth-place finish last season with a career-high 69 wins. In February, the Athletics signed Kotsay to a three-year extension. He has been with the Athletics since 2015, when he was hired as a bench coach. Kotsay was the ninth overall pick in the 1996 MLB Draft and played for the Marlins, Padres, Athletics, Braves, Red Sox, White Sox and Brewers before retiring in 2013.

Related stories on the Chicago White Sox

• WHITE SOX LOSE SEVENTH ONE-RUN GAME: The Athletics defeated the White Sox 6-5 Friday in a back-and-forth game to begin the series. CLICK HERE

• TAKEAWAYS FROM TWINS SERIES: The White Sox lost two of three games in a midweek series against the Twins. Here are three takeaways. CLICK HERE

• SOX BEAT TWINS 3-0: Lenyn Sosa and Miguel Vargas homered, and Shane Smith had another strong outing during a 3-0 win over the Twins in Thursday’s series finale. CLICK HERE

• SHANE SMITH HIGHLIGHTS: White Sox rookie right-hander Shane Smith tossed five scoreless innings with a career-high seven strikeouts Thursday against the Minnesota Twins. CLICK HERE

• WHITE SOX FALL TO TWINS: The White Sox used seven pitchers Wednesday against the Twins, falling 6-3 for their ninth loss in the last 10 games. CLICK HERE