The White Sox will turn to Bryan Hudson to open Game 2 of the Cubs series on Tuesday, a move that keeps their pitching plan flexible after a draining run of bullpen work. Will Venable said Monday the club would handle the rest of the series day by day, and that the choice for the next game would have to account for who is still available.
That is why the search around Hudson matters now. The White Sox lost the opener 7-5 in 10 innings at Wrigley Field on Monday, and the decision for Tuesday came only after a stretch that included a bullpen game against the Tigers, 5 1/3 innings from Anthony Kay on Saturday and 4 1/3 from Sean Burke on Sunday. Venable said the team has to be mindful of the future, but the immediate goal is still the same: win the game in front of it.
Hudson is not being asked to carry the night alone. The real question is how long he lasts before the White Sox turn the game over to someone else, and Venable did not set a number. The likely follow-up options are tied to the same day-by-day calculus. Erick Fedde, who has not pitched against the Tigers since the White Sox moved him to the bullpen about two weeks ago, could work behind Hudson as a bulk reliever or even start Game 3 on Wednesday. Jose Urquidy, who threw 3 2/3 innings in the bullpen game against the Tigers, is part of that same short-term math.
The constraint is broader than one game. The White Sox do not have a day off until Aug. 27 because a makeup game on Thursday against the Braves replaces it, and their recent series with the Tigers already pushed bulk arms and late-inning relievers hard. Venable put it plainly: he said the club is prioritizing the win today, but also said it would not make decisions on starters for the rest of the series until after the game.
That leaves Tuesday as both a test and a reset. Hudson gets the ball, the bullpen stays in play, and the White Sox will make the next call only after they see how far the opener can take them.
Elsewhere on Monday, Kyle Teel took batting practice at Wrigley Field after spraining his left ankle on July 20 against the Rangers. Venable said Teel is still a week or two away from another rehab assignment and that the team wants to see how he responds after hitting and running. Colson Montgomery also got the day off after going 3-for-8 with a double and three RBI in his previous two games.
