White Sox vs. Royals Lineup: Benintendi Over Grichuk? Peters Back in CF, More
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After a high-scoring win against the Kansas City Royals, the Chicago White Sox will attempt to win the series on Wednesday. With a win over Kansas City and a loss by the Texas Rangers, the White Sox will clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2021.
Game Info
Who: Chicago White Sox (81-76) vs. Kansas City Royals (67-90)
Where: Kauffman Stadium
When: 6:40 CT
Watch: CHSN
Listen: ESPN Chicago WMVP 1000 AM
Chicago White Sox Lineup
1. Sam Antonacci, LF
2. Kyle Teel, C
3. Miguel Vargas, 3B
4. Munetaka Murakami, 1B
5. Andrew Benintendi, DH
6. Tristan Peters, CF
7. Chase Meidroth, 2B
8. Colson Montgomery, SS
9. Braden Montgomery, RF
The White Sox will roll with their normal lefty-heavy lineup against right-hander Seth Lugo. Sam Antonacci will lead off and play left field. He is slashing .286/.273/.429 in his last seven games. Kyle Teel will bat second amid a 2-for-22 slump. As the playoffs loom, the South Siders need to get more production from the catcher position.
Miguel Vargas will bat third, slashing .304/.469/.609 in his last seven games. Munetaka Murakami will bat cleanup after hitting a home run during the White Sox's offensive onslaught against Kansas City on Tuesday.
Andrew Benintendi will be the designated hitter, despite a .278/.278/.278 slash line in his last seven games. He has a .580 lifetime OPS against Lugo in 14 at-bats, whereas Randal Grichuk has a .900 OPS in 10 at-bats. After Grichuk's near-cycle on Tuesday, his absence from the lineup is telling of Chicago's strategy.
Tristan Peters will make his return to the starting lineup after escaping with minor injuries from a collision with the outfield wall. He is 0-for-11 in his last seven games. After driving in five runs in Tuesday's game, Chase Meidroth will bat seventh, slashing .357/.419/.643 in his last seven games.
Colson Montgomery, who is approaching the single-season record for strikeouts in a season, will bat eighth. He is slashing .102/.254/.204 in his last 15 games with 28 strikeouts in 49 at-bats. Braden Montgomery will round out the order.
Kansas City Royals Lineup
1. Carter Jensen, C
2. Bobby Witt Jr., SS
3. Jac Caglianone, RF
4. Maikel Garcia, 3B
5. Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B
6. Salvador Perez, DH
7. Michael Massey, 2B
8. John Rave, CF
9. Isaac Collins, LF
On The Mound...
Chicago White Sox - Bryan Hudson, LHP
The White Sox will once again go with an opener for Wednesday's game. Bryan Hudson will open for right-hander Erick Fedde. After a rough stretch for Hudson, he's been very good over his last 15 games with a 2.30 ERA and four saves. In his last game against the Detroit Tigers, he gave up two runs in 0.1 innings.
Kansas City Royals - Seth Lugo, RHP
Seth Lugo has been one of the worst-qualified pitchers in baseball, with a 5.06 ERA in 31 starts (169 innings). In his last seven starts, it's been even worse for Lugo, with a 7.60 ERA. The White Sox will need to score runs early, just as they did on Tuesday, to win this game and have a chance to clinch the playoffs Wednesday night.
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Matthew Singer is a contributor for White Sox on SI. Before joining SI in 2026, he worked for Heavy as an MLB contributor and Cubs on SI. Singer has a master's degree in sports journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. He loves sports more than anything in the world.