Chicago used openers or bullpen games an MLB-leading 31 times in 2026 and will lean on that approach again in the series opener at Houston, with reliever Hagen Smith (1.29 ERA) opening.

Chase Meidroth is expected in the Game 1 lineup despite hamstring soreness, while Luis Castillo's injured-list placement likely removes him from postseason rotation consideration.

Chicago makes its first postseason appearance since 2021, opening a best-of-three Wild Card Series on the road against the Astros Tuesday. The White Sox won the regular-season series between the clubs 5-2.

Two years removed from a modern-record 121-loss season, Chicago clinched a playoff berth on September 24 — the franchise's first trip to October since 2021 and first shot at a playoff series win since its 2005 World Series title.

Chicago's postseason roster will be without catcher Joey Bart (hand fracture), pitcher Luis Castillo (shoulder impingement) and infielder/outfielder Tanner Murray (shoulder), among other injuries to sort out ahead of Tuesday's opener.

Colorado beat Chicago 9-6 as Cleveland clinched the AL Central with an 11-5 win over Kansas City, eliminating the White Sox from the division race. Chicago finishes 83-78 as the AL's third Wild Card team and will face the Rangers-Astros survivor. Manager Will Venable: "There is disappointment, obviously."

Munetaka Murakami hit two home runs and drove in three; Miguel Vargas added two sacrifice flies and Kyle Teel drove in two. Starter Sean Burke went 5⅓ innings before a bullpen combined for 11 strikeouts over the final innings.

Chicago's two clubs clinched postseason berths Thursday within two minutes of one another — the fourth time in more than 125 years both Chicago teams have made the playoffs in the same season, and the first since 2020. "The Cubs were supposed to be there; the White Sox were not," White Sox GM Chris Getz said. Cubs president Jed Hoyer exchanged congratulatory texts with Getz during the clinching day.

George Wolkow became the first White Sox minor-league position player to reach 100 RBIs in a season since Tim Elko drove in 106 in 2023. Caleb Bonemer, 20, led the system with 37 home runs, and Jaden Fauske led it in stolen bases (46) in his first professional season. Bonemer, Pierce George and Jonathan Clark are headed to the Arizona Fall League.

Chicago clinched its first postseason berth since 2021 — and became the first team in MLB history to reach the postseason after three consecutive 100-loss seasons — with a 9-1 win at Kansas City, scoring 8 unanswered runs over the first two innings.

Sandlin allowed just a Salvador Perez solo homer over six innings with seven strikeouts in the clinching win; catcher Kyle Teel also homered and reached base four times.

Chicago lost 5-4 to Kansas City on Maikel Garcia's go-ahead double, missing a chance to clinch a postseason berth outright. A White Sox playoff berth would make them the first team to reach the postseason after three straight 100-loss seasons.

With Chicago sitting one win from a wild-card berth, manager Will Venable and several players spoke on the record about the stakes of the final week. "It's the position that we've earned," Venable said.

High-A Winston-Salem won the South Atlantic League championship as several White Sox farmhands closed the minor-league season hot, led by infielder Caleb Bonemer's six home runs over his final 21 games.