Apr 09, 2026
3 min read
The White Sox demoted right-hander Shane Smith, their Opening Day starter, to the minors.
CHICAGO - Chicago White Sox starter Shane Smith was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday, a day after he gave up one hit and struck out eight batters in 3⅔ innings against the Baltimore Orioles.
Smith also walked five batters, retiring the third straight without completing the fourth inning.
"He's obviously in a position where he needs to be a freelancer, and he's not there right now," White Sox manager Will Venable said of the surprise move."We can't do that right now, which comes at the cost of winning and the cost of our bullpen."
Smith struck out 171 in just 8⅔ innings this year, leading to early and frequent use of Chicago's bullpen.
"He's on board," added Venable."He's excited to get better and he knows it's going to be short-term and get him back to what we expect him to do in the big leagues."
Smith was a success story in 2025 who made the All-Star team after being selected in the Rule 5 draft last December.The right-hander continued his positive trajectory when the White Sox named their Opening Day starter, but less than two weeks into the season, he was sent to the majors - a rare move for someone who started 1 game of the season.
"This is something that a lot of good players go through," Venable said."We expect Shane to be another story of a guy who goes down there, bounces back, comes back and has a great career."
Smith was 0-2 with a 10.80 ERA before he was demoted.Venable cited Smith's fastball as his main problem, evidenced by Tuesday's game in which he was absolutely wild, striking out eight — but walking five, leading to an increased pitch count.Teams don't match his fastball — he just can't find the plate with it.
"We really want him to get back to dominating the four-strike [fastball]," Venable said.
Venable said he will talk about who will take Smith's spot when the rotation comes.Chicago's top hitting prospects are still maturing in the minors, so there is no clear-cut player for this spot.
The White Sox called up left-hander Tyler Schweitzer to take Smith's place on the roster. He is a fifth-round pick out of Ball State University in 2022. He will make his MLB debut when he enters the game for Chicago.
