James Shields didn’t end up doing anything that’ll get him written into White Sox lore Sunday. But his importance to this rebuilding team remains high, even when fans might look at his numbers and think otherwise.
Shields entered Sunday’s game on the South Side with a 5.91 ERA in 50 appearances since coming to Chicago in a 2016 trade with the San Diego Padres. His presence on this roster is a reminder of the win-now era before Rick Hahn’s front office kickstarted the rebuild after that 2016 season. And plenty of White Sox fans lament the sting of losing Fernando Tatis Jr.