The White Sox began Thursday in first place for the first time since the end of the 2021 season, while the Cubs were struggling to get back on track after falling from 15 games over on May 9 to .500 entering their series finale in Denver.
It has been a roller-coaster season on both sides of town, with one team going up and the other down since they met in the City Series last month.
Both teams figure to be busy at the trade deadline, though if the Cubs don’t answer the “wake-up” call Jameson Taillon recently issued, they’re likely to be sellers instead of buyers.
Every Friday during the regular season, Tribune baseball writers will provide an update on what happened — and what’s ahead — for the Cubs and White Sox.
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Change of direction
The White Sox are still in the developmental stage with players, and general manager Chris Getz said “that’s been the primary focus” of the season. But with the Sox contending, Getz said “it would be unfair to what these guys have been doing” not to try to improve the team at the trade deadline or through the waiver wire.
Fortunately, many fans are offering suggestions on social media.
“There are some good ideas out there,” Getz said with a laugh. “We’re not going to dismiss any of these ideas. The ones thrown out there are pretty good.”
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Twelve Sox players have made their major-league debuts in the first 2½ months, including top outfield prospect Braden Montgomery, who was made comfortable on his first day and wound up being one of only five players to hit a walk-off home run in his MLB debut. And manager Will Venable said left-hander Hagen Smith, 22, could be called up this weekend for his first big-league outing.
“That’s a special thing about our group,” Venable said. “There’s a vibe, there’s an atmosphere and environment which they created that I think is very easy (for newcomers) to show up and to be part of. It’s very open and welcoming, and I know our guys are excited when these guys come up and I’m excited to include them in everything.
“On the other side, our player development groups with these young guys have done a good job of making them prepared for this. The alignment we have in Triple A with (Charlotte manager) Chad Pinder and the group down there makes the transition a lot easier.”
Ready for his next chance
Javier Assad didn’t think too much of the Cubs adjusting his start last week at Triple-A Iowa to last only one inning.
The Cubs recalled him over the weekend to give them length if needed, and Assad came in handy Sunday when Jameson Taillon exited in the second inning with a hamstring strain. Assad threw 6 1/3 shutout innings while allowing just one hit and one walk against the San Francisco Giants. With Taillon expected to be out until after the mid-July All-Star break and Matthew Boyd not ready to come back this weekend, Assad gets another big-league shot having split time between the majors and Triple A this year.
“It’s always taking advantage of every opportunity you’re given and giving my absolute best whatever it is that I’m at,” Assad told the Tribune through an interpreter. “Obviously I’d like to be here, this is where I’d like to be, but those decisions are not made by me.
“If they send me down, just keep giving my absolute best.”
The Cubs announced Assad as Friday’s starter for their series opener in San Francisco. They had been weighing whether to go with an opener and follow with Assad as the bulk pitcher. No matter his role, he has largely thrived however the Cubs have used him since debuting in 2022. Assad owns a career 3.54 ERA in 87 big-league games, including 57 starts.
“Probably a lot of it is how Javy had to get here and never necessarily been a guy and realizing he had to keep proving it, and he’s still got to keep proving it, and probably better yet, he’s good with I’ve got to keep proving it,” manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday. “And that’s how you keep getting chances.”
Number of the week: 9
White Sox ace Davis Martin has nine wins in his first 13 starts. Last year, Martin and Shane Smith tied for the team lead with seven wins, and no Sox pitcher has won more than nine since Dylan Cease had 14 in 2022.
Week ahead: Cubs
- Friday: at Giants, 9:15 p.m., Marquee
- Saturday: at Giants, 9:05 p.m., Marquee
- Sunday: at Giants, 3:10 p.m., ABC-7
- Monday: vs. Rockies, 7:05 p.m., Marquee
- Tuesday: vs. Rockies, 7:05 p.m., Marquee
- Wednesday: vs. Rockies, 7:05 p.m., Marquee
- Thursday: off
As Boyd’s original return from his meniscectomy this weekend in San Francisco was delayed because of shoulder soreness, there isn’t much movement toward a return for four players who have been sidelined for weeks to months.
Right-hander Hunter Harvey (right triceps inflammation) still has a ways to go to return. He currently is rehabbing at the team’s complex in Mesa, Ariz., but Counsell said Wednesday that there is “nothing that would warrant progress, like near-term progress” for the reliever. Left-hander Riley Martin (flexor tendon strain) is starting to build up by playing catch, and everything is going according to schedule.
Veteran infielder Tyler Austin signed a one-year, $1.25 million contract in the offseason after spending the last six years playing in Japan, but his Cubs tenure could be over before ever taking an at-bat. Austin hasn’t been making a lot of progress since his knee surgery in spring training, making him questionable to return before the end of the season.
The most encouraging news: Top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins (elbow inflammation) has progressed to throwing live batting practice, and Counsell said he is probably close to pitching in games soon. Wiggins hasn’t pitched for Iowa since April 4, one of his two starts this season.
Week ahead: White Sox
- Friday: vs. Dodgers, 6:40 p.m., CHSN
- Saturday: vs. Dodgers, 3:10 p.m., CHSN
- Sunday: vs. Dodgers, 1:10 p.m., CHSN, WCIU-Ch. 26
- Monday: off
- Tuesday: at Yankees, 6:05 p.m., CHSN
- Wednesday: at Yankees, 6:05 p.m., CHSN
- Thursday: at Yankees, 6:05 p.m., CHSN
The Sox continue the “Survivor” part of their schedule — 12 games against four of the best teams in baseball — with a three-game series against the two-time-defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, followed by a three-game series in New York against the Yankees.
Venable has been able to switch up his leverage pitchers, after Seranthony Domínguez was brought in as the closer and converted 11 of his first 14 save opportunities. Grant Taylor closed out a win in Philadelphia on Saturday, and left-hander Bryan Hudson was employed as the closer Wednesday against the Atlanta Braves.
Taylor said they prepare for any situation every day.
“I just go down to the bullpen and talk to the bullpen coach about where my pocket is, what situations I might throw in,” Taylor said. “Pretty much I’m ready from the fifth (inning) on, and I just kind of feel the game.”
Venable said the situation is “more fluid” these days as he and his staff try to find the right person for the right pockets.
“We’re trying to do our best to be really proactive on a daily basis, regardless of roles,” Venable said. “Like, ‘Here are spots in this lineup in this game we might call upon,’ whether it’s Grant or Seranthony or whoever. We just want to be transparent and proactive. The great thing about our guys is they’re all open, regardless of what their titles might be, in contributing in any way possible. … Sometimes maybe that doesn’t line up exactly, like in Ser’s case, to the traditional closer role. But he’s been great and open to pitching in different spots.”
What we’re reading today
- Matthew Boyd no longer scheduled to return to Cubs this weekend after experiencing shoulder soreness
- White Sox move into 1st place with 2-1 win — their 2nd straight victory vs. MLB-best Braves
- How Cubs fans turn Coors Field into Wrigley Field West, much to the displeasure of the Rockies
- How a better 1st step has taken Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki’s defense to another level
- Column: Throwback telecast ends in walk-off win for White Sox, CHSN and Bob Costas
- White Sox’s story keeps getting better with Braden Montgomery’s walk-off homer in his MLB debut
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- Cubs’ Jameson Taillon sidelined until after July’s All-Star break — and Matt Shaw is activated from IL
- Column: 4 questions for GM Chris Getz as the White Sox try to contend while developing the kids
Quotable
“It’s 13 individual hitters trying to figure out their own plans, and we have a good team game plan going in, and what we want to do, righties and lefties, but every guy’s got their own things that they’re working on, and so that’s part of working through a season is just everybody’s working as hard as they can to get it right.” — Ian Happ on Cubs’ offensive struggles