The Chicago White Sox wrap up a regular season road trip with a Thursday afternoon affair at Kauffman Stadium, squaring off against the Kansas City Royals at 2:10 PM ET on September 24, 2026. David Sandlin gets the ball for Chicago against Kansas City's Randy Dobnak in what amounts to a late-season divisional matchup with AL Central pride on the line. The game airs on Chicago Sports Network and ESPN Chicago WMVP 1000 AM for Sox fans who can't make the trip to Kansas City.

White Sox at Royals: Starting Pitchers for September 24

With stat lines unavailable heading into Thursday's game, both Sandlin and Dobnak enter under a degree of mystery. What we do know is that David Sandlin will be tasked with keeping one of the more dangerous lineups in the AL Central off the board. Randy Dobnak, a veteran with a history of relying on contact management and soft contact to navigate lineups, will toe the rubber for the Royals. Neither pitcher has a statistical edge we can point to heading in, which makes execution on the day the whole ballgame.

Kansas City Royals Starting Lineup

• Carter Jensen, C
• Bobby Witt Jr., SS
• Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B
• Salvador Perez, DH
• Michael Massey, 2B
• Nick Loftin, 3B
• John Rave, RF
• Kyle Isbel, CF
• Isaac Collins, LF

Keys to Watch for the White Sox

Neutralizing Bobby Witt Jr.

There is no soft-pedaling it — Bobby Witt Jr. is the most dangerous player Chicago will face on Thursday. Hitting out of the two-hole, Witt has the speed, the arm, and the bat to single-handedly swing a game. Sandlin's ability to limit Witt's impact on the bases and keep him from turning singles into extra bases will be one of the defining storylines of the afternoon.

Handling the Heart of Kansas City's Order

Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez form a formidable 3-4 punch. Pasquantino is a patient, left-handed hitter who works counts and does damage when pitchers leave balls over the plate. Perez, even as a DH, remains a legitimate power threat. If Sandlin can navigate the Witt-Pasquantino-Perez stretch of the order without damage, Chicago has a real shot to steal this one on the road.

White Sox Offense Needs to Make Dobnak Work

Dobnak's approach typically leans on inducing weak contact. The White Sox will need to show patience and work pitch counts to get into Kansas City's bullpen. Quality at-bats early will matter as much as any individual hit in this one.

Prediction

This is a tough spot for Chicago on the road in a late-season divisional game. Kansas City's lineup, led by Witt and Perez, presents real challenges for a pitcher whose profile we're still evaluating. That said, late-September baseball has a way of producing surprises, and the White Sox are capable of grinding out a win if Sandlin can limit the big inning. Edge to Kansas City, but don't sleep on the Sox pulling off a road win. Royals 4, White Sox 3.