The fifth overall pick of the 2024 draft, Hagen Smith, made his first major-league start Thursday night — sort of.
His two scoreless innings before giving way to Erick Fedde in a 2-0 loss the Pirates were an extension of the White Sox’ league-leading use of opening pitchers, not a deviation from his conversion to reliever for the rest of the season.
“I kind of treated it like it was a bullpen,” Smith said.
His first two full years in pro ball have been defined by sluggish, physically challenging first halves of the season before strong finishing kicks, which is part of why he’s in the bullpen.
“The last couple of years, the first half of the season has been marred a little bit by an injury — nothing serious — but in the second half of both last year and what it looks like this year, he’s come back after the injury and been really good,” Sox farm director Paul Janish said.
With a 0.50 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 18 innings, Smith’s adjustment is going swimmingly, his 10 walks aside. With 16 games left, his role could be the sort of opportunity that Triple-A starters Jonathan Cannon, Noah Schultz, Drew Thorpe or David Sandlin should anticipate.
“It’s very reasonable, as we’ve seen, that they would pitch in a bulk role,” Janish said. “Potentially start as well. But the bulk option is definitely something that they’re aware of and they’re ready for.”
The most immediate candidate would be Sandlin, who has a 1.90 ERA and 31.7% strikeout rate in four starts since he was last optioned. He’s rested after not making his originally scheduled Triple-A start Thursday.
“Sandlin’s been locked in,” Janish said. “The integrity of the stuff’s been really good. [I] feel comfortable saying he’s probably in as confident of a place that he’s been in a little while.”
Opening Day starter Shane Smith is working in single-inning relief in Triple-A for now, but Janish anticipates him competing for a rotation spot next spring.
Nearly no-hit
Already limited to five runs in their first two losses to a Pirates team playing out the string, the Sox — still with their best offense in years — couldn’t manage a hit off hard-throwing right-hander Jared Jones on Thursday night until Colson Montgomery’s two-out double off the wall in the seventh inning.
Fittingly, the runner was stranded by a Braden Montgomery lineout. The two-hit shutout loss sealed a damaging sweep and reduced the Sox lead in the American League Central to just 1.5 games.
“We helped him out tonight chasing on the slider,” said Andrew Benintendi. “Their whole staff seems like they all throw 100 mph. I think they have the highest average fastball in the league. It will be good to put them in our rearview.”
A coming six-day road trip that ends with three games against second-place Cleveland will now be potentially decisive for the division race.
“Sometimes a punch in the face is needed to get going,” Fedde said. “You need to get something from the series. And I know this club, I know this team, we’re not going to roll over.”
Dashing to the finals
The Sox’ High-A affiliate, the Winston-Salem Dash, defeated the Bowling Green Hot Rods 4-1 to advance to the South Atlantic League championship series, behind an 11-strikeout performance from undrafted left-hander Grant Umberger.