Jose Urquidy’s first outing in the White Sox system looked a lot like the version that once made him a useful big-league starter: efficient enough, hard to square up, and built on more than just one pitch.
In his Charlotte debut against the Nashville Sounds on Tuesday, Urquidy worked five scoreless innings and trimmed his ERA to 2.17 across his last 11 starts. Over that stretch, which now spans two full months, hitters have managed only a .175/.232/.270 line against him. He gave up just two hits and one walk, even though his fastballs sat at 91-92 mph and he struck out only one batter.
So what’s the trick?
"I've got five pitches right now, I'm trying to throw them from the same spot," Urquidy told Sox Machine at First Horizon Park on Wednesday.
That broader mix is a long way from the narrower package he leaned on during his best years with the Astros. From 2021 through 2022, the 31-year-old Mazatlan, Mexico native went 21-11 with a 3.81 ERA in 48 regular-season starts, then added seven postseason outings, including three World Series games. Back then, he got plenty out of high-carry fastballs from a high arm slot, along with a changeup and a breaking ball that shifted by matchup, with sweepers for righties and curveballs for lefties.
The road since then has been rough. A shoulder problem slowed him through most of 2023, and a forearm strain in spring training led to a second Tommy John surgery in June of 2024.
He spent 2025 rehabbing with the Tigers, made only a couple of September appearances, then returned to free agency. The Pirates gave him a $1.5 million deal just before spring training, but his stint in the major league bullpen didn’t stick.
Once he was sent to Triple-A Indianapolis and back into a starting role, he had the room to rebuild.
"I was trying to figure out my body, how to [get] my body in the best shape to compete from the pen, and I was struggling." Urquidy said.
"They sent me back to start games in Triple-A, and yeah, I made a lot of adjustments there. I got my routine back as a normal starting pitcher.
I got like 15, 17 outings from there, and I was trying to compete, trying to win at-bats, throwing strikes, throwing quality games, figuring out my changeup and my sweeper, like in the past."
Now he’s working with a more varied plan. Urquidy said he’s paying close attention to keeping his sweepers from getting under the ball, and that a higher arm slot on that pitch fits with a sinker he first tried in 2023 and now uses more heavily against right-handers.
Whether this version holds up against major league hitters is still an open question, but he’s at least earned a look. With the White Sox short on obvious sixth-starter options and Urquidy no longer buried in a deep Pittsburgh rotation, he has a clearer path to an opportunity.
Charlotte beat Nashville 6-4 behind Eric Haase, who drove in five runs with a homer and a double while going 2-for-4. Austin Hays stayed on schedule, playing all nine innings in right field and finishing 2-for-4. Rikuu Nishida went 2-for-5 with a strikeout, and Ryan Galanie finished 0-for-2 with a walk.
On the mound for Charlotte, Shane Smith allowed four runs, all earned, over four innings, striking out seven while throwing 50 of 82 pitches for strikes. Jairo Iriarte worked one inning, giving up one hit and one walk with one strikeout. Tanner McDougal covered two innings, allowing one hit with two strikeouts, and Jaden Woods tossed a scoreless inning with two strikeouts.
Birmingham rolled past Chattanooga 7-1, with Boston Smith going 3-for-5 with a double. Caleb Bonemer hit his ninth Double-A homer, finishing 1-for-5 with two strikeouts, and Colby Shelton also went deep, finishing 1-for-3 with a homer, a walk and a strikeout.
Anthony DePino doubled, walked and struck out twice, while Ryan Burrowes went 2-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base. Samuel Zavala was 1-for-3 with a walk.
Drew Thorpe gave Birmingham four scoreless innings, allowing one hit and no walks while striking out five. Pierce George followed with two scoreless innings, giving up one hit and striking out four.
Brooklyn beat Winston-Salem 8-1. Javier Mogollón walked twice and struck out three times.
Jeral Perez went 1-for-5 with two strikeouts. George Wolkow was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, and Kyle Lodise drew two walks and struck out twice.
Salem defeated Kannapolis 6-2. Billy Carlson went 1-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base.
Matthew Boughton finished 0-for-2 with a walk, a hit by pitch and a strikeout. Nick McLain went 1-for-2 with a walk and a sacrifice fly.
Alexander Albertus was 1-for-4 with a strikeout, and Christian Gonzalez went 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
In the DSL, the Mariners beat the White Sox 5-0 in seven innings. Carlos Vielma went 0-for-2 with a walk and two strikeouts.
Fernando Graterol struck out in all three plate appearances. Sebastian Romero singled, walked and struck out, Ronald Cardozo went 0-for-2 with a strikeout, Felix Lebron finished 2-for-3, and Samuel Luis went 1-for-3.
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