White Sox Home Opener (4/3): Lineups, A Starting Pitching Change, Cease Returns
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The start of the season has been painfully familiar for the Chicago White Sox. They have pulled off a win in only one of their first six games, racking up the worst run differential in baseball as their bullpen crumbles and their bats go cold. With that said, what better way to get back on track than some home cooking, right?
Game Info
Who: Toronto Blue Jays (4-2) at Chicago White Sox (1-5)
Where: Guaranteed Rate Field
When: 1:10 PM CT
Watch: Chicago Sports Network, MLB.TV
Listen: ESPN 1000
White Sox Lineup
1. Chase Meidroth, 2B
2. Munetaka Murakami, 1B
3. Miguel Vargas, 3B
4. Colson Montgomery, SS
5. Austin Hays, LF
6. Andrew Benintendi, DH
7. Tristan Peters, RF
8. Edgar Quero, C
9. Luisangel Acuña, CF
The White Sox have made some minor tweaks for their home opener. Chase Meidroth and Munetaka Murakami will lead things off for the third consecutive game. It will be Murakami's fifth-straight hit from the No. 2 spot. The Japanese native has undoubtedly been the team's most consistent threat at the plate so far this season.
Miguel Vargas has moved up into the three-hole and has pushed Andrew Benintendi down to No. 6. Meanwhile, Edgar Quero is back in the mix this afternoon after sitting out the team's finale against the Marlins. The White Sox are surely hoping that he can find his 2025 groove sooner rather than later. Perhaps a return home can help light a fire!
What the Sox might need most, however, is for Colson Montgomery to look like a star. Back at shortstop for this opener against the Blue Jays, the youngster is hitting a mere .182 over his first six games with nine strikeouts. He may have 5 RBIs on the board, but four of those came from a grand slam. Sitting in the clean-up spot, this team needs him to be more disciplined at the plate.
Lastly, Luisangel Acuña is back in center field following his disastrous performance against the Marlins on March 31. He committed multiple errors in the outfield, leading to a huge fourth inning for Miami that gave them the lead. While one bad game wasn't going to strip him of that opportunity, there is no question he is now under a microscope.
Toronto Blue Jays Lineup
1. George Springer, DH
2. Jesus Sánchez, LF
3. Valdimir Guerrero Jr., 1B
4. Addison Barger, RF
5. Alejandro Kirk, C
6. Daulton Varsho, CF
7. Kazuma Okamoto, 3B
8. Ernie Clement, 2B
9. Andres Giménez, SS
Pitching Matchup
White Sox – Grant Taylor, RHP
The White Sox decided to mix things up. While Sean Burke was initially expected to start things off today, Will Venable announced on Thursday that Grant Taylor will see the mound first. To be clear, Taylor will strictly serve as an opener, meaning Burke will step in shortly after he gives it a go. This will mark Taylor's third time opening a game in his young career.
All things considered, Venable's decision to go with a different look this afternoon feels like it underscores how rocky things have been for this rotation. Burke's first start left a lot to be desired, and Taylor is a young arm who is hoping to get a shot at a starting role in the future. Likewise, no one on the active roster throws the ball harder than Taylor, who already hit 101 in one of his relief appearances this season.
Toronto Blue Jays – Dylan Cease, RHP
Dylan Cease will be back in familiar territory this afternoon. One of baseball's hardest throwers, Cease spent five years on the South Side before he ended up in San Diego. Known for his wicked fastball and high strikeout rate, the veteran is in his first season of a seven-year, $210.0 million deal with the reigning World Series runner-up. Considering how badly this Sox lineup struggled against a similarly powerful thrower in Jacob Misiorowski on Opening Day, let's just say this one could get ugly.
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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