Gamethread: White Sox at Guardians

Erick Fedde looking for that first W

In today’s preview, we’ve got some unfortunate news to lead off with, as Yoán Moncada has possibly played his last game for the White Sox. It’s hard at this point to recall a time when injuries have not completely decimated this baseball team.

During yesterday’s game, Moncada was running towards first base when he suddenly winced and collapsed to the ground in obvious pain. It was evident at that moment that the injury was severe. Regardless of anyone’s personal feelings towards Yoán and his time in Chicago, it never feels good for a player to end their tenure in such a painful and unfortunate manner. Here’s wishing Yoyo a speedy and complete recovery.

With Moncada placed on the IL, Oscar Colás will get another shot at significant playing time. Pedro Grifol will also have to do some shuffling around the infield, and I might speculate we could again see Gavin Sheets in the outfield. So, if you’ve got any solar eclipse glasses on hand, you might want to keep them handy to shade your eyes.

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Erick Fedde gets the ball in tonight’s rubber match for Chicago. The righty has had a solid start to the season, owning a 0-0 record and a 2.79 ERA over 9 2⁄3 innings. He only lasted 4 2⁄3 innings in his first start but made it through the fifth in his second. The 31-year-old is hoping to stretch out a bit further in this contest and secure his first win of 2024. Fedde will try to keep the Cleveland Guardians off balance with a lot of movement from his sinker, sweeper, split-finger, and cutter.

On the bump for Cleveland, the Good Guys will face Tanner Bibee. The righthander is 1-0 in two starts this season with a 3.86 ERA in 9 1⁄3 innings. The Guardians selected Bibee in Round 5 (No. 156) of the 2021 MLB Draft. If there’s anything we know about this Central rival, it’s that they’re excellent at cultivating and developing their own pitching talent. The 25-year-old made his big-league debut in April last year, quickly becoming a key piece in Cleveland’s starting rotation. The Sox hitters can expect to see one of four pitches from Bibee, including a four-seam fastball, slider, changeup, and curve ball.

Here’s the best lineup the Sox can muster at this point:

For the Guardians:

And don’t worry your heads, Cleveland. If there’s any team that can help you get back on track, it’s the White Sox.

You can catch tonight’s broadcast on NBCSCH and the radio call at ESPN 1000 at 5:10 p.m. CST. Check back here for the recap after the game.