White Sox vs. Tigers Lineup: A New Leadoff Man? No Braden Montgomery, More
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After the Chicago White Sox salvaged the series against the New York Yankees, they will go to Detroit to face the Tigers and two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. And they will do so with a very abnormal lineup.
Game Info
Who: Chicago White Sox (39-34) vs. Detroit Tigers (30-44)
Where: Comerica Park
When: 5:40 CT
Watch: CHSN
Listen: ESPN Chicago WMVP 1000 AM
Chicago White Sox Lineup
1. Miguel Vargas, 1B
2. Randal Grichuk, DH
3. Chase Meidroth, 2B
4. Colson Montgomery, 3B
5. Edgar Quero, C
6. Junior Pérez, RF
7. Sam Antonacci, LF
8. Luisangel Acuña, SS
9. Tristan Peters, CF
Will Venable is putting together a righty-heavy lineup against Detroit. However, it is a strange one.
For just the fifth time this season. Miguel Vargas will be leading off. While he has done incredibly well against left-handed pitching this season (.325/.453/.662 slash line), it's a departure from Chase Meidroth, who has been a very steady leadoff hitter against left-handers this season.
Instead, Meidroth will be batting third in the order, the first time he has done so in his career. While Meidroth's power has gotten better over time, it doesn't really warrant him being in the three-hole at this point.
Braden Montgomery will be getting the day off on Friday with Junior Pérez in right. Montgomery has struggled since his first major league game, where he hit a walk-off homer. In 26 at-bats, Montgomery is slashing just .154/.185/.231 with eight strikeouts.
Detroit Tigers Lineup
1. Kevin McGonigle, SS
2. Dillon Dingler, C
3. Matt Vierling, CF
4. Riley Greene, LF
5. Spencer Torkelson, 1B
6. Kerry Carpenter, DH
7. Hao-Yu Lee, 2B
8. Colt Keith, 3B
9. Trei Cruz, RF
The biggest news from this lineup is that Trei Cruz is making his MLB debut. He is currently the Tigers' 22nd-rated prospect, per MLB Pipeline. The 27-year-old is the grandson of Astros great José Cruz and son of longtime center fielder José Cruz Jr., making him a third-generation ballplayer.
Kerry Carpenter is the name to watch on Friday with two home runs against Erick Fedde.
On The Mound...
Chicago White Sox - Brandon Eisert, LHP
Brandon Eisert will open against the Tigers on Friday, with starter Erick Fedde getting much of the bulk work. Will Fedde have less of a role in today's game after only opener Bryan Hudson and starter Sean Burke pitched in Thursday's game? The bullpen is now well-rested, so it's very possible.
Given Fedde's struggles of late, it's also possible that the 2.2 innings we saw on June 14 will be the norm from now on.
Detroit Tigers - Tarik Skubal, LHP
Two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal will be on the mound today against the White Sox. Skubal has dealt with injuries this season, pitching in just seven games in March and April, before undergoing surgery on his elbow to remove loose bodies.
He made his return on June 13, where he pitched 4.2 innings, giving up two runs and striking out four batters. If he's on his A-game, he's one of the most dominant pitchers in the game. Chicago will have to be patient to win this game.
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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.