The White Sox didn’t just lose Tuesday night’s game to the Reds. They gave away a 4-1 lead in the eighth, watched Cincinnati erase it with a three-run rally, and then fell 5-4 in 10 innings - a loss that trimmed Chicago’s AL Central cushion to 2.5 games.
The turning point came when Will Venable handed the ball to Bryan Hudson to finish the eighth. Hudson didn’t record an out and allowed three runs, turning a comfortable night into a mess. It was the latest ugly outing in a second half that has started to look a lot different from his first.
Since the All-Star break, Hudson has given up eight earned runs in 8.1 innings, which leaves him with an 8.31 ERA over that stretch. Seven of those runs have come in just two appearances, and that’s the issue now: the blowups are piling up. They’re not happening every night, but they’re happening enough to raise a real question about where he fits from here.
The White Sox have built more depth around him, and that matters. The deadline brought in Huascar Brazoban from the Mets, and the early returns have been solid.
The 36-year-old right-hander has allowed one earned run in four innings with Chicago, and he looks like someone who can handle late-inning work alongside Grant Taylor and Sean Newcomb. Jordan Hicks also stumbled out of the gate but has settled in over the past few weeks and has earned a bigger share of high-leverage chances.
Then there are the young arms. Tanner McDougal and Hagen Smith were recently promoted, and both have a path to meaningful bullpen work.
Smith made his big league debut Sunday and threw two hitless innings, though he also walked four. McDougal hasn’t debuted yet, but that should happen early this week.
Both pitchers have the kind of stuff that could play in big moments, even more than Hudson, who leans more on command than pure power.
Hudson has still been one of the White Sox’s better relief pieces overall this season, and his work gave the club a second late-inning lefty next to Sean Newcomb. But at this point, the priority is simple: get outs in the biggest spots. Handedness matters less than reliability, and the White Sox cannot afford to keep coughing up games like Tuesday’s, especially against a team like the Reds.
That’s what makes this such a tough call. Hudson has been one of the most dependable relievers on the roster for most of the year. But with the season tightening and the bullpen getting deeper, the White Sox may have to make the uncomfortable move and take him out of the highest-pressure moments.
In Other News...
White Sox Suddenly Have A Chance To Steady A Battered Position
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Jake Rogers has emerged as a possible short-term answer, bringing prior big league experience and a chance to give the White Sox a steadier option behind the plate. He was recently designated for assignment by the Red Sox, giving Chicago a potential opening to add a veteran catcher without having to wait for the market to fully sort itself out. [Read more 🡒]
Colson Montgomery Is Becoming A Real White Sox Debate
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For Chicago, the debate is no longer whether Montgomery has tools. He does. The bigger question is how to weigh a high strikeout rate and a modest walk profile against the value he brings at a premium defensive position, where he has graded out well and helped balance the rest of his game. In a rebuild, that kind of profile can be hard to pin down, which is exactly why Montgomery has become one of the more interesting names on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Kyle Teel's Recovery Could Give The White Sox A Needed Lift
Kyle Teels return remains one of the more watched injury stories on the White Sox side, and the early signs are encouraging. The starting catcher has been working back from the high left ankle sprain he suffered July 20, and manager Will Venable said the recovery is moving in the right direction. Teel has advanced in his rehab enough to resume running and start hitting drills, a meaningful step for a player whose absence has been felt behind the plate.
The White Sox still do not have an official timeline, but the pace of Teels progress has at least opened a realistic path toward a rehab assignment later this month. For a club trying to piece together stability at catcher, every update matters, and Teels return would bring both lineup help and defensive continuity. Venables update left the door open without forcing it, which is about as much clarity as teams usually get this time of year. [Read more 🡒]