White Sox' Grant Taylor pleased with his start, although he's more of a finisher

PEORIA, Ariz. — Grant Taylor twirled the opening inning of Saturday’s game against the Mariners and said he walked away feeling pretty good about himself.

“I feel great. I feel amazing,” he said after allowing a hit and facing four hitters. “My body is in a really good spot. I’ve done a lot of work with the pitching coaches and the staff since I got here.”

Taylor is one of the Sox’ back-end relievers, but he also opened a few games last year. Both are roles Taylor said he’s comfortable with.

“I’m used to it,” he said. “I’ve thrown late in some games during the spring. I haven’t seen a lot of big league guys, so it was nice to face some guys I’ll probably see during the season.”

During the 2025 season with the Sox, Taylor started twice and finished 10 games, saving six. With as many starting arms in camp this spring, the need for an opener could decrease. Last season, when he started twice, Taylor pitched only the first inning in each outing.

“We have a lot of really good options this year,” Taylor, 23, said. “We’ll see how that shakes out.”

Saturday’s start was to simulate both an inning early and an inning late a game.

“I’m not in on those meetings of what actually the focus was,” Taylor said.

More cuts

The Sox made two more camp cuts on Saturday before their game against the Mariners at the Peoria Sports Complex.

They optioned right-hander Tanner McDougal to Triple-A Charlotte and assigned left-hander Noah Schultz to minor-league camp. With these moves, they have 55 players remaining in camp: 28 pitchers, five catchers, 11 infielders and 11 outfielders.

“It’s that time of camp where guys have to get their work in,” Sox manager Will Venable said. “Those guys were outstanding. They both did a great job. We talked earlier in camp about using this as a foundation for a healthy and productive season, and they did a great job doing that.”

McDougal and Schultz combined to pitch 5.1 scoreless innings against the D-backs on Thursday at Salt River Fields. McDougal threw three innings, allowed two hits and struck out two. Schultz followed with 2.1 hitless innings, also recording two strikeouts.

“We saw what they did on the mound,” Venable said. “For two young guys to be out there and have that presence and the feel for the zone with their pitches was great to see.”

Drew Thorpe update

The right-hander said he weathered Friday’s second throwing session off the mound much better than his first one earlier in week. The next day following the first one, he said he suffered some soreness. Not so this time.

“It feels much better,” he said on Saturday.

Thorpe underwent Tommy John ligament replacement surgery last April and is in a slow progression to return within 12 to 18 months of the procedure.

Sox 5, Mariners 1

Davis Martin pitched a nifty three innings of scoreless one-hit, four-strikeout ball following Grant Taylor’s pretty clean first. Martin also walked one. Martin, who’s certainly in line for maanger Max Venable’s starting rotation, threw 50 pitches.

“I just got back into the groove a little bit,” Martin said. “It’s just going out there and competing. Don’t make it any more than it is. Yeah, I had a lot of fun.”

This was his third outing this spring, but his first in relief after the opener.

Andrew Benintendi started on Saturday for the second time this week after recovering from a sore right side. He went 2-for-4 with two RBI singles. Prior to the game, he said he was feeling good with no lingering effects from the injury which kept him out during the first couple of weeks of March.

Luisangel Acuna also started at second base and made a couple of nice plays. He was 0-for-3.

On deck: Royals at Sox, 3:05 p.m. Sunday, Glendale, 1000-AM, Noah Cameron vs. Chris Murphy.