GLENDALE, Ariz. — Two important members of the Chicago White Sox’s future — pitchers Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith — played catch near the right-field warning track about 30 minutes before Wednesday’s Cactus League game against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The two prospects were gearing up for their second appearances of the spring.
Schultz and Smith took steps forward Wednesday with two scoreless innings apiece in the 3-2 loss during a split-squad game at Camelback Ranch.
Schultz, ranked the No. 16 prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com, didn’t surrender a hit while pitching the fourth and fifth innings. He walked three and had one strikeout.
“First outing (Feb. 26 against San Diego), I threw eight pitches so there was a lot to work on,” said Schultz, who threw 32 pitches Wednesday. “Throwing offspeed, throwing everything, mixing different things in different counts. I’m happy with what I did today.”
Smith, rated the No. 34 prospect in baseball, didn’t allow a hit while pitching the sixth and seventh innings. He had one strikeout, two walks and hit one batter.
“(You) try to work through some struggles,” Smith said. “It’s going to happen during the year, no matter where I’m at, so to be able to do that was really good.”
Both left-handers found ways to get out of trouble Wednesday.
Schultz walked the first batter he faced, Manuel Margot, but then got Eric Haase to hit a grounder to shortstop Jacob Amaya to begin a 6-4-3 double play. A walk to Andruw Monasterio followed, but Schultz rebounded to strike out Jorge Alfaro to end the inning.
The Oswego East product surrendered a one-out walk in the fifth but got Vinny Capra to ground into a 5-4-3 double play.
“I’m very thankful to have infielders that are very good with it,” Schultz said. “It made it look very easy. I couldn’t be more thankful for them behind me.”
Smith also benefited from a double play when Margot hit a liner to third that was snagged by Lenyn Sosa, who fired to second to get Rhys Hoskins before he could return to the bag to wrap up the sixth inning.
Smith walked Monasterio with one out in the seventh but then picked him off first. Hit hit the next batter, but got a forceout to end the outing.
“I was trying to go with more fastball command (Wednesday),” Smith said. “I was kind of frustrated with that last time (against San Diego). Today, it was all right. I kind of got away from some batters, body kind of out of whack mechanics-wise. Threw a slider, that gets me back in my mechanics. Just stay through it. That helps a lot.
“I’m super hard on myself. (But) I threw (24) pitches in those two innings. Hopefully during the season, that’s on pace for a quality start.”
Smith, 21, has allowed one hit in three scoreless innings this spring, to go along with three walks and four strikeouts. Schultz, 21, has allowed one hit with three walks and one strikeout in three scoreless innings.
The first round picks — Schultz in 2022 and Smith in 2024 — continue to absorb all they can in big-league camp.
“It’s been great,” Schultz said. “Guys have been very welcoming. Learned a lot from a lot of guys, especially just watching the games, watching guys play. Taking a lot away from it. Very grateful to be here.
“A lot (of the lessons) are just the intangibles, how guys carry themselves and how they react after different things. Those are things you can pick up on.”
Injury updates
Outfielder Austin Slater will miss two to three weeks with a left oblique strain, the Sox announced Wednesday.
“Just tightened up after batting practice two days ago,” Slater said Wednesday morning. “Took a couple of dry swings before (Monday’s) game. Didn’t feel great, so decided to go in and get an image on it.”
Slater was scratched from Monday’s lineup.
“We’re hopeful for opening day but understand there’s variability with these things,” Venable said. “So we’ll take it day by day and continue to support him with some treatment and see how he progresses.
“He’s a guy who has been around. You would like to think his build up to get back and ready once he is healthy is not going to be a long road, but at the same time we want to make sure he’s ready to go and gets what he needs to be ready to play.”
Catcher Korey Lee exited Wednesday’s game in the bottom of the third inning with a bruised right hand. He suffered the injury in the top half of the inning attempting to throw a runner out at third base. X-rays were negative. The Sox said he’s day to day.