To call him a phenom is a stretch, but Smith did have that phenomenal moment two weeks ago when he struck out the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith in the first inning of a Cactus League start, then struck out Ohtani and Freeman again in three scoreless innings.

Pitcher Shane Smith, picked by the Chicago White Sox in the Rule 5 draft, is passing challenges this spring “with flying colors,” pitching coach Ethan Katz said.