White Sox Option Shane Smith to Triple-A Charlotte

The Chicago White Sox optioned starting pitcher Shane Smith to Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday, demoting the 26-year-old right-hander after three inconsistent outings to open the season in a bid to address his command issues.

Smith, who earned All-Star honors as a rookie in 2025 with a 7-8 record and 3.81 ERA over 29 starts, has posted a 0-2 mark this year with a 10.80 ERA. In 8 1/3 total innings, he has surrendered 10 earned runs on multiple hits, issued nine walks and recorded 11 strikeouts. His struggles stem primarily from poor fastball location, leading to high pitch counts and inefficiency.

The decision came one day after Smith's most recent appearance, a 4-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago. On Tuesday, the former opening day starter managed 3 1/3 scoreless innings but required 99 pitches to do so, walking five batters and hitting another. Only 57 of those pitches were strikes, though he escaped trouble with eight strikeouts, including a key 12-pitch at-bat against Gunnar Henderson. The White Sox bullpen faltered in the eighth, allowing three runs that proved decisive.

Manager Will Venable expressed confidence in Smith's potential despite...