Carlos Rodón gets the ball for the Yankees at 7:05 PM ET, riding a 3.19 ERA and a 6-inning, 7-strikeout win over Cleveland his last time out. Anthony Kay counters at 6-1 with a 4.34 ERA — the record is shiny, the underlying number is less so.
The Yankees are doing this without Aaron Judge, who's working through a stress fracture in his first rib, and they're still 44-27 and bludgeoning people. Spencer Jones got his first Yankee Stadium homer in Tuesday's 12-2 laugher, Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt added two-run shots, and the lineup never blinked. If that's the Judge-less version, the AL East should be worried.
Chicago is somehow 38-33 and hanging around in the Central, which feels like a misprint given how the medical staff's week is going. Hagen Smith just got shut down 2 weeks with a shoulder impingement, Tyler Gilbert hit the IL with the same diagnosis, and the rotation depth was already a problem with Noah Schultz, Ky Bush, and Drew Thorpe all on the shelf. Munetaka Murakami is out with a hamstring and got a PRP shot — that's the kind of update that rarely shortens a timeline.
- Day-To-DayHagen Smith SP — Smith will be shut down for two weeks after being diagnosed with a left shoulder impingement, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.
- Day-To-DayTim Elko 1B — no
- Day-To-DayMason Adams RP — The White Sox announced that Adams underwent successful Tommy John surgery Wednesday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILMunetaka Murakami 1B — White Sox manager Will Venable said Monday that Murakami (hamstring) stayed back in Chicago during the team's road trip and was given a platelet-rich plasma injection, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILNoah Schultz SP — Schultz (knee) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILJordan Hicks RP — Hicks (lat) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Saturday, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILTyler Gilbert RP — The White Sox placed Gilbert on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a left shoulder impingement.
- 60-Day-ILKyle Teel C — Teel (knee/hamstring) will start a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.
- Day-To-DayJasson Dominguez DH — Dominguez (teeth) is not in the starting lineup for Tuesday's matchup against the White Sox.
- Day-To-DayEric Reyzelman SP — no
- Day-To-DayTravis MacGregor SP — MacGregor underwent Tommy John surgery last September and will miss the entire 2019 season, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILTrent Grisham CF — Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday that Grisham has been diagnosed with a "moderate" right hamstring strain, Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports.
- 10-Day-ILGiancarlo Stanton DH — The Yankees announced that Stanton (calf) reinjured his calf and will have a slow week of activities, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILAustin Wells C — Wells (head) has been sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to begin a rehab assignment.
- 10-Day-ILAaron Judge RF — The Yankees announced Thursday that Judge has a stress fracture of his first rib on his right side and will be sidelined for 4-to-6 weeks before being re-evaluated, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILMax Fried SP — Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Friday that Fried (elbow) will throw off a mound Saturday, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
Kay's job is to keep this from turning into Tuesday again. He went 5 innings against the Dodgers his last time out, struck out 7, allowed 2 earned, and the White Sox bullpen — minus Jordan Hicks, minus Tyler Gilbert — needs him to chew innings. Against a Yankees lineup that just hung 12, that's a tall ask.
Rodón at home with the platoon advantage against a banged-up White Sox lineup is exactly the spot the market is pricing. The question isn't whether the Yankees are favored — it's whether Chicago has enough left to keep this within shouting distance two nights in a row.