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It was announced on Tuesday that Tauchman would begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte after he was sidelined with a hamstring strain in mid-March. Tauchman returned to minor league play with a bang, blasting a three-run home run in the fifth inning of Tuesday’s game that traveled 411 feet with a 105 mph exit velocity. Tauchman had a middling 2024 for the Cubs, batting .248 with a .723 OPS and seven home runs, but will be sure to provide some punch for the White Sox, especially on a team with little true offensive starpower. Tauchman is eligible to be activated on Friday, and is expected to be if the remainder of his rehab assignment goes smoothly. Related: Braves Facing Alex Verdugo Decision After Jurickson Profar Suspension
Historic run for White Sox ends with Smith’s strong MLB debut..
CHICAGO — It was hours before Shane Smith took the mound for the White Sox during an 8-3 loss to the Twins on Tuesday night at Rate Field when Mike Vasil, his teammate, friend and offseason throwing partner, delivered a special message.
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“I told him today when I walked in, ‘Happy Start Day,’” Vasil said before Smith made his Major League debut. “I’m very excited to watch him pitch.”
Vasil was not alone.
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In front of his mom and dad, two sisters and brother, Smith picked up right where Sean Burke, Jonathan Cannon, Davis Martin and Martín Pérez had left off in this almost spotless first turn through the White Sox rotation by opening with five scoreless innings.
Smith’s effort meant White Sox starters went 28 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run to start the 2025 season, leaving them behind only the 1963 Cardinals (32 innings), the 1976 Brewers (31 2/3), and the 2015 Tigers (28 1/3) in MLB history, per the Elias Sports Bureau.
Shane Smith’s family discusses his MLB debut
Apr 2, 2025 · 2:05
Shane Smith’s family discusses his MLB debut
Smith struck out three, walked four and gave up two hits on a night more befitting for football than the fifth game of the baseball season. He fanned Carlos Correa swinging on a changeup for his first career strikeout and then got Ryan Jeffers looking on a slider to strand two runners in the first.
“A little shaky on the first hitter, but after that I settled in pretty good,” said Smith, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the White Sox No. 26 prospect. “Tried to keep the emotions in check leading up to today. I think I did a pretty good job.”
“He did great. That was awesome. He was under control,” manager Will Venable said of Smith. “I thought he had composure out there, really overpowering with the fastball, good secondary stuff. Was able to mix it up and get some really good hitters out. We weren’t able to seal the deal from him there in the sixth.”
Matt Wallner flied out and Correa grounded out to open the sixth in seemingly harmless fashion, but Smith walked Byron Buxton and Trevor Larnach, bringing an end to his night at 73 pitches. Both runners scored when the Twins rallied for five runs against reliever Penn Murfee, with two charged to Smith.
For the night, Smith averaged 94.9 mph on his four-seamer and topped out at 97.3 mph, per Statcast. But his velocity dropped in that sixth, something pitching coach Ethan Katz checked on with Smith, which could also be chalked up to the frigid weather.
“We were ready with Murfee,” Venable said. “Really liked him in that spot. Shane had done his job for the night, and so we thought that was a good spot to turn it over to the bullpen.”
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