White Sox Manager Venable’s Mound Visit Blunder Forces Early Pitcher Removal in Loss to Guardians

Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable inadvertently triggered a costly personnel decision Friday night at Rate Field when he visited the mound a second time in a single inning without realizing the consequences. The maneuver forced him to remove starting pitcher Noah Schultz after just five batters faced, as the White Sox fell to the Cleveland Guardians 8-2.

Schultz had already surrendered a two-run single to left fielder Angel Martinez with the bases loaded when Venable approached the mound to discuss an appeal play. Under MLB rule 5.10(l), a manager or coach is permitted only one visit per pitcher per inning; a second visit mandates the pitcher’s removal from the game.

The premature exit proved particularly damaging given the bullpen’s exhaustion from a 13-inning defeat the previous night. Relief pitcher David Sandlin, summoned from Triple-A before the game, was not yet warmed up when thrust into action and ultimately pitched 5 1/3 innings on 96 pitches.

Venable acknowledged full responsibility after the game, calling the oversight inexcusable. “Just totally lost that we had visited,” the 43-year-old manager told MLB.com, adding that the urgency of executing the appeal play clouded his judgment.

The loss marked Chicago’s fourth consecutive defeat, making them the last team in baseball to reach a four-game skid this season. The White Sox (59-56) face the Guardians (58-59) again Saturday at 7:15 p.m. ET in the second contest of their three-game series.