Why is the White Sox-Guardians Game Delayed? When Will it Start?

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Is the White Sox-Guardians game delayed today? Get the latest weather delay updates, first pitch time and when the game is expected to begin.

Rain washed out Sunday’s start time between the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field, where the tarp went down well before the scheduled 2 p.m. EDT first pitch.

As of 3:08 p.m., the Progressive Field public address system carried an announcement saying, “The first pitch will happen at approximately 3:30.” The announcement came after a bizarre series of events after rain had let up in Cleveland.

“New target start time is 3:30 after further delays to get the warning track dried out and ready for play. Player safety the main concern.” wrote Cleveland.com reporter Joe Noga. “[managers] Stephen Vogt and Will Venable were in the outfield twice with umpires and Guardians officials making sure things were in order. Now warmups.”

At 3:30 p.m., Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee was on the mound throwing his warm-up pitches. He threw the first official pitch at 3:32 p.m.

At 1:45 p.m., just 15 minutes before the originally scheduled start time, UnderdogMLB reported that the new projected first pitch would arrive at 2:30 p.m. EDT. The Chicago Tribune also reported a projected start at 2:30 p.m. EDT, 1:30 p.m. CDT.

But the game did not start at 2:30 p.m., though rain had completely stopped.

“Guardians now say the game will remain delayed as the grounds crew continues work on the warning track,” wrote MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins.

At about 2:40 p.m., umpires told both players from both teams that they could leave the dugouts if they wished, and they told media representatives that the new projected start time was 3:15 p.m. EDT. What that meant for the starting pitchers was unclear. It was also unclear whether the warning track would be playable by 3:15 p.m. As 3 p.m. rolled around, ground crews were seen watering down the infield. How much progress they had made on the outfield warning track was unclear.

“There’s a forklift on the warning track and 15 grounds crew guys working on it. [Guardians Manager] Vogt is now out there with the umpires,” reported Stebbins.

The stadium speakers played “The Waiting” by Tom Petty.

The delay lands at the worst possible moment for both AL Central contenders, who are tied in the standings and now face a soggy scramble to salvage a series finale that already had significant implications for playoff position heading toward the All-Star break.

What a Delay Means for the Chicago White Sox

Chicago enters the day fresh off a 3-1 win on Saturday behind a go-ahead home run from Colson Montgomery, a result that pulled the White Sox into a share of the division lead. Left-hander Chris Murphy, sporting a 3.79 ERA, was lined up to start before the weather intervened.

An off day looms on the schedule, softening the blow of any lengthy wait and giving Chicago’s bullpen a chance to recover from a taxing week. A full postponement would be a different story, erasing an immediate shot to gain ground on Cleveland in a head-to-head matchup and pushing the makeup date into an already crowded stretch that includes a series opener against the Boston Red Sox.

Guardians Face Bigger Stakes at Home

Cleveland, tied for the division lead after Saturday’s loss, has more to lose from a scrapped date. A postponement would strip the Guardians of a home gate and the chance to build on a stretch of extra-inning drama that has defined their recent run, according to MLB.com.

Right-hander Tanner Bibee, already carrying a rough 2-9 record, would see his next turn pushed back if the game is scrapped and rescheduled. That would likely mean a doubleheader later this month, adding bullpen strain during an already condensed stretch that features a trip to Minnesota starting Monday.

Forecasts pointed to a 64% chance of rain at first pitch, with hourly totals staying elevated into the late afternoon, according to RotoWire’s hourly forecast for Cleveland. It marks the second rain delay of the series, after a Friday stoppage that began moments after Chicago had taken the lead, according to Cleveland.com’s report on Friday’s stoppage.