Is the Yankees-White Sox Game Delayed Today? When Will it Start?

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The Yankees-White Sox game is delayed today. Here’s why the MLB game has not started and the latest on when play could begin.

The New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox were scheduled to face off at Rate Field tonight, but an estimated 2.2 inches of rain had already fallen in Chicago Monday and darkened skies loomed over the ballpark, meaning a delay to the start of the game could be imminent.

The White Sox announced at 6:10 p.m. CT that the game was in an official delay, estimating that first pitch would arrive at 7 p.m. CT, or 8 p.m. ET.

At about 4:40 local time, the “grounds crew rushed the tarp on field when wind shifted suddenly, but Yankees pitchers seem unconcerned,” according to a report by Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald, a newspaper in the Chicago suburbs. The teams canceled batting practice, according to Chicago sportswriter Jared Wyllys, and a heavy downpour was hitting Rate Field at about 5 p.m. local time, reported by Chuck Garfien of White Sox broadcaster CHSN.

Yankees coaches Tanner Swanson and Brett Weber helped the grounds crew get the tarp onto the field, noted Athletic reporter Brendan Kuty.

At about 4 p.m. CT, MLB.com Yankees beat writer Bryan Hoch posted a video showing hail falling at Rate Field as the tarp remained covering the infield. About 20 minutes earlier, Hoch posted a photo of extremely dark clouds over the field.

“Not exactly clear skies here on the South Side,” Hoch wrote.

But sports meteorologist Kevin Roth sounded an optimistic note, posting at 4:14 CT, “Storms are clearing Chicago well ahead of the game. Another round is possible later, but as of now radar is dry behind this line.”

The White Sox news account Sleeper White Sox was not quite as sanguine, however, posting, “Mother Nature does not look to be cooperating at the moment
First pitch is scheduled for a little bit over an hour from now,” with a photo of the grim conditions at Rate Field at about 5:30 p.m.

Though no delay to the start of the game had been declared as of 90 minutes before first pitch, set for 6:40 p.m. CT, a “torrential downpour” swept through Chicago earlier in the day, WGN news anchor Ben Bradley reported, but whether the rain would let up enough to allow for an on-time start was uncertain as game-time approached.

Chicago (55-49) was set to host New York (59-46) to open a four-game series Monday at Rate Field, also known as Guaranteed Rate Field. TV Coverage is split between YES in New York and CHSN in Chicago.

Yankees, White Sox Face Severe Storm Threat

The National Weather Service placed the region under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch running from late morning through 7 p.m. CDT, citing the potential for strong to severe wind gusts and large hail across the Great Lakes into the Ohio Valley. The forecast called for a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon, mainly before 5 p.m. local time, with some storms capable of turning severe, according to the point forecast at the National Weather Service.

A second wave carries a 40% chance of additional storms tonight, mainly before 10 p.m. local time, with south winds shifting to the north and gusting as high as 25 mph behind the front. Heat was part of the setup too, with highs in the mid-to-upper 80s and a heat index pushing into the upper 90s earlier in the day, according to the 10-day outlook at WeatherBug.

Winds around 10 to 16 mph out of the south-southwest could favor hitters at Rate Field assuming that the game does get underway on time, or at some point.

Max Fried, Noah Schultz Set For Start

New York had lined up ace left-hander Max Fried, who carries a 4-3 record and a 2.97 ERA into the start. Chicago countered with left-hander Noah Schultz, sitting at 3-7 with a 6.04 ERA, according to the probable pitchers page at MLB.com.

A lengthy delay or eventual postponement would push both starters back a day and cascade the rest of a four-game series that already has plenty of pitching decisions attached to it. Gerrit Cole and Anthony Kay are lined up for Tuesday, Cam Schlittler and Davis Martin for Wednesday, and Ryan Weathers and Sean Burke for Thursday. A postponement would most likely mean a doubleheader gets added somewhere in that window.

Both clubs are managing injuries in their rotations and bullpens, so a doubleheader would tax already-thin pitching depth on both sides.

New York sits second in the American League East and a comfortable 4 1/2 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox for the top Wild Card spot. Extra rest for a banged-up staff could help just as easily as it could hurt if it bunches innings later in the week.

Chicago leads the American League Central by a narrow 2 1/2 games over the Cleveland Guardians, and a delay would cost the club little beyond a night of home-field momentum against a divisional contender.

For two teams positioned to play deep into October, the stakes of a Monday delay remain more about workload management than the standings.

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