White Sox Lineup (4/6): Grant Taylor's Third Opener, Can Miguel Vargas Stay Hot?

The Chicago White Sox are looking to get back to .500 with a win over a struggling Baltimore squad.

Apr 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami (5) celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the sixth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Pulling off their earliest sweep in a season since 2020, the Chicago White Sox may be catching the Baltimore Orioles at the perfect time. Coming off the wrong end of a sweep in Pittsburgh, the high-upside squad sits only 3-6 and has mustered only two runs in each of its previous two games. If the White Sox' pitching staff can continue to keep this offense in check, they could finish the day with a .500 record. That would feel like a borderline miracle following their ugly start to the season in Milwaukee and Miami.

Game Info

Who: Baltimore Orioles (3-6) at Chicago White Sox (2-5)
Where: Guaranteed Rate Field
When: 6:40 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. Edgar Quero, C
8. Tristan Peters, RF
9. Luisangel Acuña

The Chicago White Sox will move Munetaka Murakami back to the two-spot for the first time since their series opener against the Blue Jays. The power hitter continued his strong start to the season with a pair of hits and walks in the series, which included his first home run at Guaranteed Rate Field. Facing off against a lower velo pitcher tonight who still leans heavily on his fastball, it sure feels like fans could be in store for another long ball.

Miguel Vargas also deserves a shoutout for his incredibly strong two-way effort against Toronto. He repeatedly came through with some clutch plays at third base while also tallying seven total bases against the Blue Jays' solid pitching staff. All things considered, Vargas has played a key role in helping this Sox team transition from power-hungry to contact-minded. He is simply looking to get on base any way he can and use his athleticism to make the extra play.

Benintendi returns to the starting lineup after sitting out the previous two games. It's been an incredibly rough start to the year for the veteran, who has tallied only three total bases on three hits and has struck out a total of ten times. While he's going to continue to get chances for head coach Will Venable, there is no question that the team is going to need to see more out of the DH spot. Can he potentially feed off the Sox' recent hot streak and finally find his footing?

Baltimore Orioles

1. Taylor Ward, LF
2. Gunnar Henderson, SS
3. Pete Alonso, 1B
4. Adley Rutschman, C
5. Tyler O'Neill, RF
6. Ryan Mountcastle, DH
7. Colton Cowser, CF
8. Coby Mayo, 3B
9. Jeremiah Jackson, 2B

Pitching Matchup

Apr 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Grant Taylor (31) delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

White Sox – Grant Taylor, RHP

If it ain't broke, don't fix it! Grant Taylor will serve as the opener once again on Monday night. This will be his third time doing so in the White Sox' previous four games. They won each of the previous two outings, as both Anthony Kay and Sean Burke settled in nicely following Taylor's clean first inning. The right-hander's fastball has looked as good as advertised, with it repeatedly touching triple-digits. He has also accumulated six strikeouts in just his 4.0 innings pitched so far this season.

At this rate, though, the Sox are going to have to seriously consider giving him more runway. They are limiting his potential production by flushing him at only a half inning of action. Shouldn't the goal be to get more out of him? Venable may be starting to consider just that, as he reiterated to Bruce Levine on Monday that he does view Taylor as a potential long-term option in the rotation.

Orioles – Brandon Young, RHP

Brandon Young is trying to bounce back from an ugly 2025 campaign. He went just 1-7 in his 12 starts, recording a 6.24 ERA and giving up 12 home runs. Young does have a wide range of pitches he can turn to, but he mostly leans on a fastball that sits in the mid-90s. You'll also see a decent splitter and curve, particularly when lefties are up. Nevertheless, you can get balls in play against Young, and the Sox should be trying to go after him pretty early.