White Sox Switch Up Starter for Home Opener Against Blue Jays

The Chicago White Sox are changing things up for their home opener.

One day after pushing the game against the Toronto Blue Jays back a day due to inclement weather, the team announced a starting pitching change ... sort of. In a rather unconventional fashion, the White Sox have decided to go with an "opener" for their first game at The Rate. Sean Burke was initially slated to start the game on the mound, but the plan will now be for Grant Taylor to throw the first pitch, per James Fagen.

Taylor will be expected to throw only the first inning before Burke enters to handle as much as he can. Burke has one start under his belt thus far, taking the mound against the Milwaukee Brewers on March 28. Like his fellow rotation members, he struggled to find an early rhythm and gave up seven hits and three earned runs over 4.0 innings pitched. Burke did at least limit his walks to just one and struck out five batters. Milwaukee would go on to win 6-1.

All things considered, Burke's starting role was anything but certain coming into 2026. He had an up-and-down 2025 campaign that led to a demotion in mid-August. The Sox eventually called him back to the bigs a few weeks later, but he failed to look significantly better.

To be sure, he has a fascinating arsenal that features a solid four-seamer and some deceptive movement pitches. But consistency is key. The Sox are clearly still skeptical of his ability to settle into games, and we need to look no further than this home-opening tweak to see just that.

A Big Opportunity for Grant Taylor

Sep 21, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Grant Taylor (31) pitches against the San Diego Padres during the eighth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

Even if Grant Taylor will only be on the mound briefly, the decision by manager Will Venable says a lot. Yes, this has become a more common practice in recent years, but it still speaks to a lack of confidence in the current rotation, specifically Burke.

The team is only headed toward its second rotational run, yet the starters have given up a combined 21 runs through the first six games. It's played the biggest factor in their MLB-worst -31 run differential. Now, has the bullpen been much better? Not at all, but Taylor does remain one of the highest-upside arms in the system and still projects to be a potential long-term starter.

Taylor made his debut last season with 36 appearances, including two starts. His first start on June 20 came against – you guessed it – the Blue Jays and came in another opening role. Taylor got the Sox out of the inning cleanly with one strikeout. The Sox then had him open one more time on July 27 against the Cubs, where he gave up two earned runs. In the first matchup against Toronto, Taylor did open for Burke.

As someone with a fastball that can touch triple-digits, there is no question that giving Taylor more of a runway should be part of the plans this season. However, one does have to wonder when Will Venable could give the 23-year-old a chance to have his first normal start. The longest he has pitched in any MLB game thus far is 2.0 innings.

For what it's worth, he has appeared in two of the team's six outings thus far. He gave up a pair of hits and one earned run in his first outing on March 28 before looking a lot more stable a day later. He allowed only one hit to the Brewers and struck out the side in the seventh inning. Taylor reached 101.9 mph in that stint.