Burke working on consistency following first full big league season

SURPRISE, Ariz. — Competition for the back end of the White Sox rotation continued Monday as right-hander Sean Burke built toward the regular season.

Burke, the club’s 2025 Opening Day starter, remains in the mix for a spot in the rotation and took another step forward in the South Siders' 3-2 loss to the Rangers at Surprise Stadium.

He tossed 4 2/3 innings against Texas, allowing one run on three hits with four strikeouts and three walks. Through four appearances (three starts) this spring, he has a 4.97 ERA across 12 2/3 innings after posting a 6.75 ERA last spring.

For Burke, the focus this spring hasn’t been on changing his stuff, but on consistency. He’s looking to build off the highs of last season.

“I felt pretty good,” Burke said. “Just trying to get ahead of guys.”

Burke noted his breaking pitches weren’t as sharp early, but he adjusted as the outing progressed.

“[I was] still kind of able to find little spots to get it in the zone and then expand when I needed to,” Burke said.

A key focus entering the start was developing feel for his offspeed pitches, particularly his curveball.

“Early in the season, it’s about getting reps and finding that feel,” Burke said.

Burke added that he feels further along this spring compared to a year ago, crediting continuity with the club’s catching corps.

“I feel like we have a pretty good plan going into every game,” Burke said. “I’m just excited to keep building … and get ready for this season.”

That continuity has also helped in other areas, including controlling the running game.

“We've done a lot of focus on the running game," Burke said, "and that for us has been a big thing that we've been trying to work on in spring, too, is just varying holds, doing different picks."

With a year of shared experience, he believes the rotation is positioned to take a step forward.

“We're all confident going through the season,” Burke said. “We can pitch better than we all showed last year. So I think our rotation as a whole is taking on that challenge and trying to lead this team.”

Smith experimenting with new cutter

Left-hander Hagen Smith also continued his development this spring, tossing two innings in Sunday’s 10-4 loss to Kansas City. He allowed no runs while striking out five in his first start of the spring.

Smith has given up two earned runs through 3 2/3 innings, though the focus has been more on refining his pitch mix than results.

“I threw the ball pretty well. There's obviously some fastball misses that I'd like to take back, but overall felt good,” Smith said.

One of the biggest developments for Smith -- MLB Pipeline's No. 72 overall prospect -- has been the addition of a cutter, a pitch he began experimenting with only days ago after watching teammate Anthony Kay.

“That's kind of why I want to start throwing a cutter,” Smith said. “I've literally been throwing the cutter for two or three days now. So like after watching [Kay] throw the other day, I was just like, ‘I kind of want to try.’”

Smith believes the pitch could help him against right-handed hitters by giving him another option that moves in on their hands.

He will begin the season at Triple-A after being reassigned to Minor League camp Monday. The coaching staff has been encouraged by how quickly he embraced expanding his arsenal.

“Really good stuff from Hagen,” manager Will Venable said. “We were transparent with him, too. … We asked him to add some stuff to his arsenal, which he took to immediately.”

Venable added that Smith will continue refining other aspects of pitching as he develops.

“That's going to open some things up for him,” Venable said. “These little things where you have to feel the position, you have to control the running game. These are things that we're challenging him to continue to work on, and he's up for that challenge."

Roster updates

Right-hander Mike Vasil and outfielder Brooks Baldwin are both dealing with right elbow soreness and remain sidelined. Vasil exited Saturday’s game against the Dodgers, while Baldwin has been out since March 6.

The White Sox also reassigned right-hander Tyson Miller to Minor League camp on Monday.