White Sox Send Opening Day Starter To Minors After Control Issues Persist

Shane Smith looked unhittable on Tuesday afternoon against the Baltimore Orioles, partly because his stuff was electric, and partly because nearly half his pitches missed the strike zone.

Once again, he failed to pitch deep into the ballgame, finishing with one of the strangest lines you’ll see: 3.2 innings, one hit, no runs, five walks, and eight strikeouts. After throwing just 57 of his 99 pitches for strikes, Smith offered a blunt but accurate assessment of his outing.

“Not really putting our team in a good position to win. Just killing our bullpen. As we get into the season and the games start stacking up, we need these guys to be as fresh as possible,” Smith told reporters after the game. “Not being able to get past 3.2 in the first starts puts you in a tough spot.” 

In Smith’s first three starts, the Chicago White Sox bullpen has been forced to eat a combined 17 innings, with Tuesday marking the first time he has made it past the third inning.  In just 8.1 innings of work, he’s 0-2 with a 10.80 ERA, pairing 11 strikeouts with nine walks. Not exactly what the White Sox had in mind when they named Smith their Opening Day starter. 

As a result, the White Sox decided to option Smith to Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday and selected the contract of left-hander Tyler Schweitzer to take his place on the major league roster. 

This was a move that needed to happen, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be long-term. There is no questioning the Smiths’ talent. As evident by his eight-strikeout performance on Tuesday, his stuff is good enough to get hitters out.  But the 26-year-old right-hander currently owns one of the worst walk rates in the MLB at 18.4%. 

By sending him to the minor leagues, Smith will have an opportunity to tweak some things in a less pressurized environment without being a detriment to the White Sox pitching staff. 

The White Sox found success with a similar approach last season, sending Colson Montgomery, who was struggling in Triple-A, to Arizona to work on his swing with hitting director Ryan Fuller. It’s a strategy that the White Sox couldn’t use last season when Smith hit a rough patch, because as a Rule 5 pick, he was required to stay on the big-league roster all year, or risk being offered back to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Last season, Smith relied heavily on his fastball and changeup. His changeup still remains his best pitch, but after struggling early in his start on Tuesday against the Orioles, he adjusted to throw his curveball more. By the end of his outing, he had thrown 41 curveballs, resulting in 10 swings and misses. Perhaps the heavier curveball usage could be something he experiments with more in the minors. 

With the starting rotation already lacking depth and a bullpen that has been stretched thin, the White Sox would like to see Smith back to his All-Star form sooner rather than later. But for the time being, credit to the front office for doing what clearly needed to be done.