Game Day Preview: Jonathan Cannon Takes Mound For White Sox Against Royals

The White Sox placed Andrew Benintendi on the injured list ahead of Wednesday's game against the Royals. Here's the game day preview, including the probable pitchers, lineups, roster news, TV and radio details, weather forecast and more.

Chicago White Sox pitcher Jonathan Cannon throws against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The White Sox look to bounce back from a pair of losses as they play the third of four games against the Royals Wednesday in Kansas City.

The Royals, aided by a few defensive miscues by the White Sox, scored two runs in the ninth inning on Tuesday night to secure a 4-3 comeback win. That marked their second win of the series and followed Monday's 3-0 victory.

Wednesday's pitching matchup features Jonathan Cannon, a second-year right hander with a 4.26 ERA for the White Sox, versus 13-year MLB veteran Michael Wacha for the Royals.

Here's more information on Wednesday's game.

How to watch White Sox vs. Royals

• Who: Chicago White Sox (10-26) vs. Kansas City Royals (21-16)
• When: Wednesday, May 7 at 6:40 p.m. CT
• Where: Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.
• TV: Chicago Sports Network (CHSN). For more information on how to watch CHSN, CLICK HERE.
• Radio: ESPN Chicago WMVP 1000 AM
• Betting information: The Royals 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-110 odds, and the Royals minus-1.5 at minus-110 odds. The over/under is 8.5 runs, according to the FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Weather: At 6 p.m. CT in Kansas City, the forecast is 62 degrees and cloudy with a 35% chance of rain and east-northeast winds at 7 mph. There's a 58% chance of rain at 7 p.m. and a 60% chance at 8 p.m., according to weather.com.

Lineups

White Sox

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

Royals

1. Maikel Garcia, 3B
2. Bobby Witt Jr., SS
3. Vinnie Pasquantino, DH
4. Salvador Perez, 1B
5. Cavan Biggio, RF
6. Michael Massey, 2B
7. Drew Waters, LF
8. Luke Maile, C
9. Kyle Isbel, CF

Starting pitchers

• White Sox RHP Jonathan Cannon: 7 appearances, 38 IP, 38 H, 18 ER, 17 BB, 32 K, 4.26 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 2-3 record. In his most recent start against the Astros, Cannon pitched six innings with nine hits, two runs, zero walks and five strikeouts.
• Royals RHP Michael Wacha: 7 starts, 38.1 IP, 35 H, 15 ER, 13 BB, 29 K, 3.52 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 1-4 record. Wacha pitched 6.1 innings with seven hits, three earned runs, one walk and three strikeouts in his most recent start against the Baltimore Orioles.

Roster news

• Andrew Benintendi has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a left calf strain he suffered in Sunday's game. Venable said Benintendi injured himself getting out of the box and running to first on a fly ball that was dropped for an error in right field. He was not in the lineup on Monday or Tuesday. The White Sox selected Nick Maton's contract from Triple-A Charlotte. Maton played designated hitter, first base, second base and left field in 23 total games for the White Sox this season, posting a .173 batting average.

• The White Sox announced six roster moves ahead of Sunday's series finale against the Astros: Infielder Josh Rojas (toe) was activated from the 10-day IL; White Sox selected right-handed pitcher Caleb Freeman’s contract from Triple-A; Left-handed pitcher Tyler Gilbert was recalled from Triple-A; Left-handed pitcher Fraser Ellard was placed on the 10-day IL with a left lat strain; Right-handed pitcher Penn Murfee was optioned to Triple-A; Infielder Bobby Dalbec was designated for assignment.

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.
• Matt Quatraro, Royals: Quatraro, 51, is in his third season as the Royals manager. They went 56-106 in his first season, but improved to 86-76 in 2024 with a second-place finish in the AL Central and a loss to the Yankees in the ALDS. He was previously and assistant coach for Cleveland from 2014-17 and Tampa Bay from 2018-22. From East Selkirk, N.Y., Quatraro attended Old Dominion University and was an eighth-round pick by the Rays in the 1996 MLB Draft. He played five minor league seasons until 2002.

Related stories on the Chicago White Sox

• BRADEN MONTGOMERY'S POWER: Braden Montgomery, the No. 5 prospect in the White Sox organization, hit two home runs Tuesday night for the High-A Winston-Salem Dash. CLICK HERE

• OZZIE GUILLEN REACTS TO COLLAPSE: The White Sox made several defensive miscues in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals, and former manager Ozzie Guillen had a lot to say in the postgame show. CLICK HERE

• MEIDROTH'S PLATE DISCIPLINE: Chase Meidroth, the White Sox No. 8 prospect who recently made his MLB debut, has a chase rate far below league average. That approach has helped him find early success in the big leagues. CLICK HERE