Dallas Keuchel was the weak link in the White Sox starting rotation, and by a long shot. On Saturday the White Sox designated the veteran left-hander for assignment.

Signed to a three-year, $55 million contract before the 2020 season, Keuchel, a former Cy Young winner, has struggled with a 7.88 ERA in 2022 in eight starts. He was fifth in Cy Young voting in the shortened 2020 season but posted a 5.28 ERA in 32 starts last season.

Keuchel, one of three $18 million players at the top of the Sox’ payroll this season, was booed by fans at Guaranteed Rate Field during his last start Thursday night against the Red Sox. The outing lasted two innings while he allowed six runs in a 16-7 loss.

Keuchel was asked if he felt uncertain about his status in the starting rotation going forward after the game.

“Not really,” Keuchel said. “I have to do my job. That’s first and foremost. If I don’t do my job I’m the first to admit, hey, there are other options. I’ve afforded myself some leeway and I’m in no way, shape or form out of this thing.”

Keuchel offered no excuses for his performance after the game.

“That’s very disappointing, and I mean, really just upset that I’m putting a lot of innings the last two games on our relievers,” Keuchel said.

Infielder Danny Mendick was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte to take Keuchel’s spot on the roster. The Sox host the Cubs at Guaranteed Rate Field Saturday night. Johnny Cueto effectively fills Keuchel’s spot in the rotation. The 36-year-old right-hander has pitched 12 scoreless innings over two starts with the Sox this season.

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CHICAGO — The White Sox designated left-handed pitcher Dallas Keuchel for assignment on Saturday, two days after he gave up six runs in two innings to the Boston Red Sox.

Keuchel, 34, had a 7.88 ERA this season after compiling a 5.28 mark last year. After signing a three-year, $55.5 million deal with the White Sox before the 2020 season, he finished fifth in Cy Young voting with a 1.99 ERA.

The White Sox don’t have much room in their rotation when all their arms are healthy. Veteran Johnny Cueto has pitched well in his return to the majors, while righty Lance Lynn is close to returning from a knee injury that has sidelined him since spring training.

The team also employs Vince Velasquez, who was recently moved to the bullpen. Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease and Michael Kopech take up the other three spots in the rotation.

The White Sox have 10 days to trade Keuchel unless he’s claimed on waivers; otherwise, he will become a free agent with the White Sox paying him the rest of his salary for 2022.

The team recalled infielder Danny Mendick from Triple-A Charlotte to take Keuchel’s spot on the roster.

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It’s Cubs vs. White Sox this weekend on the South Side, and you can cut the excitement with a plastic spoon.

Do we all agree the crosstown rivalry has lost some of its heft through the years? It seems indisputable. One reason is that the teams haven’t often been good at the same time, so the games haven’t been all that consequential. Another is that the novelty of interleague play, which started in 1997, is gone. Also, both teams finally ended their Homeric World Series droughts, introducing fans to a bigger picture.

But here’s one more reason: gambling. A constantly growing number of people just don’t watch sports the same way they used to, and it’s because they’ve got their noses in sports betting apps. They’re “living their bet life.” They’re “making it rain.” They’re PointsBetting and FanDueling, DraftKinging and Barstooling. They don’t care if the Sox or Cubs win; they care if Tim Anderson has more than 1 1/2 hits and Willson Contreras drives in a run.

You ever observe a roomful of young fans on an NFL Sunday? They’re incapable of watching a Bears game from start to finish — and not just because it’s the Bears. No, they’re watching NFL RedZone and following their fantasy players and their bets across the league.

And they have plenty of company — older company — since the Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on sports betting in 2018. Thirty-two states have legalized sports betting, with Illinois, which pressed “go” in June 2020, among the 17 states that allow full mobile betting.

Turn on a pregame show in any sport, on any network — Marquee and NBC Sports Chicago included — and you’re bound to be treated to a ridiculous, gambling-sponsored segment in which one or more ex-jock analysts pretend to have a clue about how random prop bets will unfold.

“I’ll tell you what, Frank, I absolutely do believe Spikes McGee will foul at least two balls off his own face. In fact, you can bet on it!”

Gambling has become ubiquitous in sports, and among the myriad absurdities of it all are the results of a survey of sports bettors that landed in my inbox this week. The survey was conducted by SportsBettingReport.com — which bills itself as “a leading source for the most accurate news about safe and legal online sports betting” — and involved 1,250 adults, which, coincidentally, is also the number of sports-media professionals in Chicago who openly are betting on the players and teams they yap and/or write about.

Where to start? How about here: According to the survey, only 24% of sports bettors gamble daily, whereas 42% place bets a few times per week. That leaves the other 34%, who are liars.

This is kind of scary: 39% admitted they typically risk 50% or more of their monthly take-home income in totalwagers. What are they doing with the other half, sewing $20s into kites?

According to the survey, women are more likely — 26% to 23% — to consider themselves “habitual” gamblers. But let’s face it, folks: If 23% of men are willing to admit to having a weakness — any weakness — there have to be at least as many who can’t bring themselves to do it. This result should come with an adjustment for meatheadedness.

Meanwhile, 60% of respondents said they bet on sports to earn extra income. Similarly effective ways of doing that: playing the lottery, investing in your cousin Earl’s latest cryptocurrency and chucking your piggy bank into a wood chipper.

Quick question: Are all sports bettors full of it or just most of them? Because 75% of respondents reported breaking even and 24% claimed they win at least 75% of the time. Do you know who wins 75% of the time? No one you’ve ever met or ever will meet.

On the other hand, only 11% answered that they win “rarely.” One only can assume they’ve been betting on the Cubs.

And finally, hilariously, pathetically: Among daily sports gamblers, 80% claimed doing so had had a positive effect on their lives. If they like that, they should try drinking in the bathtub.

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The great Roger Angell (pronounced “Angel”) died at an age equal to the speed of a great fastball, 101. Angell began contributing to The New Yorker magazine in 1944, the same year the St. Louis Cardinals and the St. Louis Browns met in the World Series. The current editor of the magazine, David Remnick, wrote, “His prose and his editorial judgment left an imprint that’s hard to overstate. Like Ruth and Ohtani, he was a freakishly talented double threat, a superb writer and an invaluable counsel to countless masters of the short story. He won a place in both the American Academy of Arts and Letters and in the Baseball Hall of Fame — a unique distinction.”

In an interview in 1982, Angell said, “I think the real fans are the fans of terrible teams because they know what good baseball is and they know how far their own players fall short. The rallying cry that has always struck me as so poignant and beautiful is ‘Come on, you bum!’ which means, ‘We know you’re no good, but we want to win.’ “

Thank you, Mr. Angell.

On to the quiz:

1. Only five MLB players have hit 100-plus home runs for three teams: Reggie Jackson, Jim Thome, Alex Rodriguez, Adrian Beltre and Darrell Evans. For which three teams did Thome hit his?

2. The White Sox are off to a poor start against their American League Central rivals, not necessarily in overall standings but in intra-divisional games. From 2012 to ’21 (10 seasons), how did the Sox fare in their division?

a)Over .500 b) Under .500 c) .500 ball

3. You remember Shawon Dunston, right? On July 7, 1990, he tied a record held by Joe DiMaggio, Willie Mays and Ernie Banks, among others. The last time this feat was accomplished was by Yasiel Puig in 2014. What did Dunston do?

a)Hit five doubles in a game

b) Hit four homers in a game

c) Hit three triples in a game

4. Loyal (and patient) reader Ron Weiner was the inspiration for this question: Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye made baseball history together. On April 13, 2009, each hit the 300th home run of their career. They also went back-to-back for the feat. Who was the Tigers’ pitcher for this major event?

a) Justin Verlander

b) Zach Miner

c) Rick Porcello

d) Edwin Jackson

5. Ferguson Jenkins was a remarkable pitcher who deserves all the accolades (and statues) he receives. He leads all Canadian-born pitchers with 284 wins. Which pitcher is second on that list?

a)Reggie Cleveland

b) Russ Ford

c) Ryan Dempster

d) Kirk McCaskill

6. While we’re talking angels, the 1994 baseball movie “Angels in the Outfield” starred Danny Glover and what child actor?

a)Jonah Hill

b) Joseph Gordon-Levitt

c) Angus T. Jones

d) Richie Cunningham

7. Recently, Nestor Cortes of the Yankees became the 41st American League pitcher, and the 104th all-time, to throw an immaculate inning (nine pitches, three strikeouts). This prompted reader Larry Rosen to ask if this had ever been accomplished by a White Sox or Cubs pitcher? Sloppy Thurston had the only one for the Sox, in 1923. These four pitchers did it for the Cubs. Who was the most recent Cub to throw an immaculate inning?

a)Milt Pappas

b) Bruce Sutter

c) Lynn McGlothen

d) LaTroy Hawkins

8. As I was watching the Sox finish off the Yankees in their doubleheader sweep Sunday, it got me wondering: Over the last 10 seasons in which they played from 2011 to ’21 (they did not play in 2020), which Chicago team fared better against their same-league New York counterpart?

a)The Cubs vs. the Mets

b) The White Sox vs. the Yankees

c) They were equal

9. Which sports anchor was on the call for Kerry Wood’s first game with the Cubs, Glenallen Hill’s home run that landed on a rooftop and Sammy Sosa’s 66th homer?

a)Dan Roan

b) Dan Roan

c) Dan Roan

ANSWERS

1. Thome hit 337 for the Indians, 134 for the White Sox and 101 for the Phillies. He also hit 37 homers for the Twins and three for the Orioles.

2. Despite playing .560 ball (107-84) over the last three seasons, from 2012 to ’21, the Sox won 330 games and lost 389, a winning percentage of .459.

3. Playing at Stade Olympique against the Expos, Dunston tripled in the fifth, sixth and ninth innings. He had five RBI that day, which is more than any of those HOFers had when they did it.

4. Zach Miner. Never before had two players hit a century milestone homer in one game.

5. Russ Ford had 100 wins, Reggie Cleveland 105, Kirk McCaskill 106 and Ryan Dempster 132 (67 with the Cubs).

6. The young star of “Angels” would find himself in “3rd Rock From the Sun,” “Snowden,” “Inception,” “Mr. Corman” and, most recently, “Super Pumped.” Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

7. On Sept. 11, 2004, LaTroy Hawkins struck out Jeff Conine, Juan Encarnacion and Alex Gonzalez in one beautiful ninth inning against the Marlins to earn the save.

8. From 2011 to ’21, the Cubs were 44-22 against the Mets, winning the season series eight times, losing once and tying once. The White Sox, on the other hand, were 27-40 against the Yankees, winning the season series twice, losing six times and tying twice.

9. Have fun with your grandchildren, Dan.

SHAMELESS PLUG: My book with Bob Ryan, “In Scoring Position: 40 Years of a Baseball Love Affair,” will make a great gift for Father’s Day.

Write me at [email protected], and you might be a part of the quiz

See you in June.

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Through 13 games, the Fire are last in Major League Soccer. That’s despite a start that produced eight points in their first four matches and an aggressive offseason from sporting director Georg Heitz.

Yet last in the league is where the Fire sit more than a third of the way through the season. Can they turn things around, or will this be another lost campaign for a franchise that has spent most of the last 13 years disappointing its fans?

Here are two outlooks, depending on your perspective:

The optimist’s view

An attack with Xherdan Shaqiri, Chris Mueller and Jairo Torres should be dangerous. Once those players fully mesh and struggling striker Kacper Przybylko snaps out of his funk, the Fire’s offense might wake up and trouble opponents consistently.

There were signs of that during a 3-3 draw May 18 against the Red Bulls. Shaqiri played his best game since joining the Fire, and Mueller scored his first goal for the team. According to FBref, the Fire produced 1.6 expected goals, their third-best mark of the season.

Under coach Ezra Hendrickson, the Fire have shown the capability to lock down opponents and play disciplined soccer. When healthy, captain Rafael Czichos has been one of MLS’ best defenders, lifting the play of fellow center back Wyatt Omsberg. And now that he’s free of the decision about whether to represent the United States or Poland internationally, Gabriel Slonina might show the talent that has made him one of the most coveted young goalkeepers in the world.

Add that up, and the Fire can get back into the race for their first playoff berth since 2017.

The pessimist’s view

The Fire are winless in their last 10 matches in all competitions, and skids that long don’t come out of nowhere.

Shaqiri, currently the highest-paid player in MLS at $8.15 million in guaranteed compensation, has three goals and two assists in 11 matches and already has missed time with a calf problem. Przybylko has two goals — both in one game — and the link-up play between the two hasn’t materialized. It’s still early, but the possibility exists that the chemistry won’t arrive and that neither will live up to his hefty salary.

It’s also possible that the Fire’s defense was never that good and that it was a matter of time before it was figured out. The Fire have surrendered at least 2.0 expected goals in four of their last five matches, something that might get worse if Czichos misses more time with injuries.

Heitz, meanwhile, hasn’t proved he can build a deep or competitive MLS squad. His first two Fire teams averaged exactly one point per game, and this group is at a meager 0.85, which means anything he put together doesn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt. Sure, the roster looks decent on paper, but did Heitz figure something out after two poor seasons?

The recent crash says no, setting the tone for another losing season. And that should force owner Joe Mansueto to take a hard look at Heitz.

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Don’t think for a second that Zach LaVine has forgotten the 2018 offseason. The latest reminder of that came last month.

During his exit interview with the media, LaVine was asked about outperforming the four-year, $78 million deal he signed as a restricted free agent in 2018, specifically in the final three years of the deal.

”I thought it was four out of the four [years],” LaVine responded. ”I don’t know what four years you were looking at.”

When asked whether that ”discount” would play into him wanting a max deal now that he is an unrestricted free agent this time around, LaVine quickly said, ”I mean, you said that, I didn’t.”

Switching to the Klutch Sports Group, appearing in a Mountain Dew commercial that seemingly runs three times an hour, having two All-Star Game appearances and earning a gold medal with Team USA in the Olympics last summer scream ”max deal.”

Fortunately for the Bulls, they are in a position to give LaVine the biggest max deal. With LaVine not being named to the All-NBA teams announced Tuesday, the Bulls can offer him a five-year, $212.3 million deal; any other suitor can offer him a four-year, $157.4 million deal.

Is he still angry enough with the Bulls over his contract in 2018 that he would bypass the extra $55 million they can offer? Unlikely. But that doesn’t mean he’s going to turn down dinners and pleas from other franchises and players when free agency begins. LaVine wants to go through the wine-and-dine process, especially now that arthroscopic surgery on his left knee showed nothing unexpected.

That means the rumor mill already has started churning, with the Lakers, Hawks and Trail Blazers in the LaVine sweepstakes — with more teams likely on the way.

But here’s a buyer beware to all those teams, including the Bulls: There is a history here. Scoring guards who focus only on one end of the floor and receive max deals are a recipe for mediocrity in the NBA. If LaVine is the player he was with Team USA and the first six weeks of the regular season, he will be worth a max deal. If he’s not, he remains a third piece on a championship team who will be getting paid like the best player.

All indications from the offices of the Advocate Center are that the Bulls will offer him that max deal and take that leap of faith. It will be up to LaVine to decide whether the feeling is mutual or whether he rather would move on, leaving executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas possibly to go the sign-and-trade route.

That’s easier said than done, however, when you’re trying to get equal talent back.

Your move, Zach.

WHAT THE BULLS HAVE

LaVine, Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, Ayo Dosunmu, Coby White, Matt Thomas.

WHO MIGHT BE ON THE MOVE

Thomas is an unrestricted free agent and likely will leave. All eyes, meanwhile, will be on White and what the Bulls decide to do with him. He’s up for an extension if they want to make that leap now, but they more likely will look to trade him for the right piece — namely, an outside shooter who is more consistent.

THE DRAFT

The first-round playoff loss to the Bucks was a reminder of how badly the Bulls need three-point shooting, especially off the bench. A healthy Ball (knee) will help, but don’t be shocked if the Bulls draft a versatile shooting guard — such as TyTy Washington Jr. or Malaki Branham — with the 18th pick, especially if the LaVine rumors build in momentum.

FREE AGENCY

The Bucks’ Pat Connaughton has a $5.7 million player option for next season, and all indications are that he’s staying put. That’s too bad because he would be the perfect fit for the Bulls’ bench. Limited resources will make adding a dynamic shooter in free agency difficult.

WILD CARD

If the Bulls get the sense that LaVine wants out, they will take a more defensive approach toward building the team and trade him to the 76ers for a package that includes Matisse Thybulle and Tobias Harris.

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