White Sox Stick With Worrisome Pitching Plan Against Cubs

One looming question about the Crosstown Classic is what the Chicago White Sox will do with their pitching staff for the rest of the series.

The White Sox sent veteran right-hander Luis Castillo to the mound on Monday night, but lost the game after a blown save in the ninth inning led to a walk-off home run by Pete Crow-Armstrong in the 10th.

And to make matters worse, the pitching matchups do not favor the South Siders over the next few days.

The Cubs will send Kevin Gausman to the hill on Tuesday night, while Clay Holmes gets the start on Wednesday night, with both of their trade deadline acquisitions looking to secure the series win. It was speculated over the weekend that the White Sox may look to combat that by calling upon one of their talented starting pitchers in the minor leagues. But instead, the White Sox appear to be sticking with the same formula that hasn't worked in the past.

Right-handed pitcher Shane Smith looked good in his most recent outing for the Triple-A Charlotte Knights and could be rediscovering himself and his 2025 All-Star form after struggling in early 2026. The other option is Drew Thorpe, a talented young right-hander who showed flashes of excellence during his first MLB stint in 2024 but has missed a long period of time while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Thorpe has been nothing short of dominant during his minor league rehab so far. But the White Sox seem content with keeping both Smith and Thorpe in the minor leagues. Smith is the projected starting pitcher for the Charlotte Knights on Tuesday night, while Thorpe is the probable starter on Wednesday night.

The White Sox, meanwhile, plan to use left-handed relief pitcher Bryan Hudson as an opener against the Cubs on Tuesday, while Erick Fedde follows him as the bulk inning reliever.

It will likely be more of the same on Wednesday, with Jose Urquidy serving as the bulk inning reliever.

It's an overall concerning strategy considering the White Sox have a completely taxed bullpen, have two empty spots in the starting rotation, and will need to hold the Cubs offense at bay unless they're comfortable punting on a series against their crosstown rival.

The wind will be blowing out at Wrigley Field on Tuesday night, setting up a challenging evening for White Sox pitchers. But as far as we know right now, there's no roster move coming for the White Sox, as both Smith and Thorpe remain in Triple-A Charlotte.