Game Day Preview: Shane Smith Faces Marlins, Ranks Among Best Rookies

CHICAGO – Much of the attention for Saturday's game will be on two young players the White Sox hope can be part of the future.

Right-hander Shane Smith has been a major bright spot in the starting rotation, and he takes the mound for his eighth start on Saturday. Smith has a 2.41 ERA, good for 18th among MLB starting pitchers with at least 30 innings, and a 1.15 WHIP, or 42nd best. He was recently rated as the third-best rookie in MLB by FOX Sports.

These rookies are off to a hot start this season 🔥@RowanKavner ranked the top 10 ➡️ https://t.co/FXLHfpxcAx pic.twitter.com/eqv0sZNxiz
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 8, 2025

Another point of intrigue is Tim Elko making his MLB debut. The 26-year-old, right-handed first baseman led all Triple-A hitters with a 1.100 OPS through 31 games with the Charlotte Knights. White Sox rookie catcher is excited to be teammates with Elko again.

"He's a pretty good guy, man, pretty good teammate. So happy to have him here [Saturday]," Quero said after Friday's game. "He's a pretty good hitter, and I know he's gonna help the team a lot. ... He's a power hitter, but he can control the zone pretty well."

"He's a good leader, too, in the clubhouse. He's a guy like he's always funny. He's having fun every time. He likes to talk to everybody. He's a really good teammate."

Here's more information on Saturday's game.

How to watch White Sox vs. Marlins

Who: Chicago White Sox (11-28) vs. Miami Marlins (14-23)
When: Saturday, May 10 at 6:10 p.m. CT
Where: Rate Field in Chicago, Ill.
TV: Chicago Sports Network (CHSN). For more information on how to watch CHSN, CLICK HERE.
Radio: ESPN Chicago WMVP 1000 AM
Betting information: The Marlins and White Sox have the same moneyline odds of minus-108. On the run line, you can bet the White Sox plus-1.5 at minus-184 odds, and the Marlins minus-1.5 at plus-152 odds. The over/under is 8.5 runs, according to the FanDuel Sportsbook.
Weather: At 6 p.m. CT in Chicago, the forecast is 53 degrees and sunny with a 1% chance of rain and north winds at 17 mph. The chance of rain is also 1% at 7 and 8 p.m. according to weather.com.

Lineups

White Sox

Chase Meidroth, SS
Josh Rojas, 3B
Andrew Vaughn, DH
Edgar Quero, C
Joshua Palacios, RF
Lenyn Sosa, 2B
Brooks Baldwin, LF
Tim Elko, 1B
Michael A. Taylor, CF

Marlins

Xavier Edwards, SS
Jesus Sanchez, RF
Eric Wagaman, 1B
Agustin Ramirez, C
Kyle Stowers, LF
Connor Norby, 3B
Ronny Simon, DH
Dane Myers, CF
Javier Sanoja, 2B

Starting pitchers

White Sox RHP Shane Smith: 7 starts, 37.1 IP, 28 H, 10 ER, 15 BB, 31 K, 2.41 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 1-2 record. In his last start against the Royals, Smith pitched five innings with five hits, two earned runs, three walks and five strikeouts.
Marlins RHP Edward Cabrera: 5 starts, 24.1 IP, 29 H, 17 ER, 12 BB, 24 K, 6.29 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 0-1 record. Cabrera pitched 5.2 innings with seven hits, two earned runs, one walk and four strikeouts in his last start against the Athletics.

Roster news

Luis Robert Jr. is not in Saturday's lineup due to right knee soreness, Venable said pregame. He's day to day.

The White Sox claimed right-handed pitcher Yoendrys Gomez from the Los Angeles Dodgers and released outfielder Greg Jones, who spent most of the year in Triple-A. Gomez allowed 10 earned runs in 14.1 innings with 11 strikeouts and one save during stints with the Dodgers and Yankees this season.

The White Sox promoted first baseman Tim Elko from Triple-A to the major league team for Saturday's game against the Marlins. Elko has 10 home runs in 31 games with the Charlotte Knights this season. In a corresponding move, Nick Maton has been designated for assignment.

Infielder Chase Meidroth was scratched from Friday's lineup due to right shoulder soreness, which occurred on a diving play Thursday against the Kansas City Royals. He's day-to-day.

"He got through [Thursday's] game fine and was really sore last night, got some treatment," Venable said. "He went through all the baseball activities today and just wasn't in a good spot where we felt comfortable putting him on the field." Meidroth returned to the lineup Saturday.

Outfielder Mike Tauchman (10-day IL, right hamstring strain) will begin a rehab assignment Saturday with Triple-A Charlotte.

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.
Clayton McCullough, Marlins: McCullough, 45, is in his first season as the Marlins manager. He was previously the Los Angeles Dodgers first base coach from 2021-24, helping them win the World Series last season. Cleveland selected McCullough in the 22nd round of the 2002 MLB Draft out of East Carolina, and he played in their minor league system until 2005. McCullough was a manager in the Toronto Blue Jays' minor league system from 2007-14.

How to watch White Sox vs. Marlins

Lineups

Starting pitchers

Roster news

Managers

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