White Sox at Guardians (2/28): Can Shane Smith Bounce Back? Eyes on the Infield, More
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After splitting their two games on Friday, the Chicago White Sox are back together for their 10th spring training battle and first against their AL Central rival, the Cleveland Guardians.
Game 1 Info
Who: White Sox (5-4) at Cleveland Guardians (4-4)
Where: Goodyear Ballpark
When: 2:05 PM CT
Watch: MLB.TV
Listen: ESPN 1000
White Sox Lineup I
1. Chase Meidroth, 2B
2. Sam Antonacci, DH
3. Miguel Vargas, 3B
4. LaMonte Wade Jr., 1B
5. Derek Hill, CF
6. Jarred Kelenic, LF
7. Korey Lee, C
8. Darren Baker, RF
9. William Bergolla Jr.
The opportunities keep coming for Sam Antonacci. The infielder has continued to make a strong impression throughout spring training, appearing in five games thus far with an OPS of 1.065. He's paired his three hits with a trio of RBIs, a trio of walks, and a trio of stolen bases. Set to suit up for Italy in the upcoming WBC, he deserves a lot of credit for making the most of his condensed playing time in front of the White Sox staff.
Speaking of the infield, Miguel Vargas has done a solid job in his 11 at-bats. The third baseman has four hits, which included a nice double down the left field line in yesterday's meeting with the Rangers. Vargas is expected to remain plenty busy this season as the White Sox remain somewhat limited at the corners. While they have some options waiting in the wings, it might not be until 2027 that we see someone really make it a competition at third.
Guardians Lineup
1. Steven Kwan, CF
2. George Valera, LF
3. José Ramírez, 3B
4. Kyle Manzaro, 1B
5. Austin Hedges, C
6. Nolan Jones, RF
7. Juan Brito, 2B
8. Cameron Barstad, DH
9. Angel Genao, SS
On the Mound
White Sox – Shane Smith, RHP
Coming off an All-Star campaign, Shane Smith's first taste of spring training action left a lot to be desired. The righty simply didn't look comfortable as the Colorado Rockies came out aggressively and forced him out of the ball game before two full innings. He hit two batters, walked one, and allowed a total of three runs. All things considered, it was an unusual start from someone who proved to have excellent command in 2025.
With that said, it serves as a good reminder of the challenges that will come following a breakout year. Not only are there higher expectations, but opposing batters are going to come in with a much better idea of what you do best. It's up to Smith to adjust and prove he has the staying power. Could we see him start to mix up his pitches even more? He threw his four-seamer 45 percent of the time last season.
Guardians – Tanner Bibee, RHP
Speaking of mixing up your pitches, the White Sox are set to face the well-rounded Tanner Bibee. The right-hander has an incredibly deep arsenal that features a fastball, cutter, sweeper, sinker, and change-up. He may not stack up strikeouts, but he keeps pitches in the zone and gives his defense a chance to make some easy plays.
With that said, 2025 was a down year compared to his first two seasons in the majors. He went just 12-11 with a 4.24 ERA. The Guardians are certainly hoping that he can return to his 2023 and 2024 form, re-establishing himself as their clear ace.
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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