Battenfield (0-5) took the loss Wednesday versus the White Sox, allowing five runs on nine hits and a walk with two strikeouts over 4.1 innings.
Battenfield remains in search of his first major-league win, and he's not really even trending in the right direction. This was his second-shortest outing of the season, and it's the first time he's given up five earned runs, which included yielding three home runs. The 25-year-old right-hander is now at a 5.19 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 27:11 K:BB across 34.2 innings through seven appearances (six starts). Battenfield has done little to suggest he'll remain in the rotation once Aaron Civale (oblique), Triston McKenzie (shoulder) or Cody Morris (lat) are ready to return, though all of those pitchers are still over a week away. Battenfield is tentatively projected to get a rematch with the White Sox in Cleveland next week.