With tonight’s AL Wild Card series between the White Sox and Astros beginning in just under six hours, the team has made their Wild Card roster official – though, it doesn’t hold too many surprises.
- Right-Handed Pitchers (7): Huáscar Brazobán, Sean Burke, Erick Fedde, Jordan Hicks, Davis Martin, David Sandlin, Grant Taylor
- Left-Handed Pitchers (5): Bryan Hudson, Anthony Kay, Sean Newcomb, Noah Schultz, Hagen Smith
- Catchers (2): Kyle Teel, Jake Rogers
- Infielders (5): Luisangel Acuña, Chase Meidroth, Colson Montgomery, Munetaka Murakami, Miguel Vargas
- Outfielders (7): Sam Antonacci, Andrew Benintendi, Brenton Doyle, Randal Grichuk, Braden Montgomery, Tristan Peters, Tommy Pham
There weren’t too many difficult decisions for this team to make outside of whether they wanted to carry 14 positions players and 12 pitchers or 13 of each. The team decided on the former, opting for the additional flexibility for pinch-hitters and pinch-runners over the flexibility of some additional pitchers throughout the game. Essentially, the decision came down to the placement of guys like Tommy Pham, Tyler Davis, and Trevor Richards on the roster, and the White Sox chose Pham and his experience.
Perhaps the most notable name on the roster in Anthony Kay’s, who threw 75 pitches in Sunday’s victory over the Rockies. Because he was included, we can assume that the White Sox and Kay believe he could be available on short rest later in this series.
Hagen Smith will get the ball to start Game 1, though it was announced to be a “bullpen game” by both the White Sox and Astros. So, we should assume Smith won’t be too long for this game, likely going 2-3 innings and departing after the lineup turns over for Houston.
The White Sox have not yet announced their starting lineup for today’s game.
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Featured Image: Chicago White Sox / Instagram
