The White Sox went into Friday night with a lead, got some needed late help, and still couldn’t get much comfort from the biggest pitching addition they made at the trade deadline. Luis Castillo’s night at Minnesota fit a pattern that has been tough to ignore: flashes of quality, then a lot of traffic, a lot of damage, and not nearly enough length.
Chicago beat the Twins 7-4, but Castillo was gone after four innings. He allowed four runs on eight hits, walked one, struck out one and surrendered two home runs.
The White Sox gave him a 4-0 cushion in the top of the first, but Minnesota punched right back with three runs in the first and another in the second to tie it up. Chicago answered with a run in the third and another in the fourth, and once Castillo was pulled, he was no longer in line for the win.
The bullpen did the rest. Hagen Smith, Grant Taylor and Bryan Hudson handled the final five innings, and Minnesota managed just four hits while striking out six times against that trio.
Taylor improved to seven wins and two losses, and Hudson picked up his sixth save. The victory also trimmed the White Sox’s magic number to 24.
For Chicago, though, the bigger story remains Castillo himself. The White Sox traded reliever Seranthony Dominguez to Seattle for him, and both sides have gotten underwhelming results so far. Castillo has now struggled in four of his five starts with Chicago, with only one quality start to show for it.
There was one bright spot: a seven-inning outing in a 5-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds, when he allowed one hit, two walks and struck out 10. But that game has looked more like the exception than the rule.
Across over five starts with the White Sox, Castillo is 1-1 with a 6.45 ERA in 22.1 innings. He has allowed 31 hits, walked six and struck out 20. The numbers are a jarring match for the version of Castillo Chicago hoped would deepen a rotation that badly needed it.
The issue isn’t confined to his time in Chicago, either. Before the trade, Castillo was 3-9 with a 5.06 ERA in 20 games and 17 starts for Seattle, covering 99.2 innings and giving up 107 hits and 32 walks while striking out 86.
In Other News...
White Sox Suddenly Have A Luis Robert Jr. Decision To Make
Luis Robert Jr. is back in the conversation around the White Sox after the Mets placed the outfielder on outright waivers, reopening a door that once looked shut. Chicago dealt him to New York, and his run with both clubs has been uneven, complicated further by a recent return from injury, which has kept the focus on fit as much as talent.
For the White Sox, the question is no longer just what Robert Jr. can do at the plate or in the field, but whether a return would make sense for the roster and the clubhouse. There has been no official move, and plenty still has to line up before anything becomes real, but the possibility alone gives Chicago a familiar and uncomfortable decision to sort through. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox May Already See One Market As A Real Edge
Munetaka Murakami has already given the White Sox a clear example of what can happen when they mine Japan well, supplying middle-of-the-order punch since signing before the 2026 season and matching that impact with 29 home runs. It has only sharpened the organizations appetite for more Japanese talent, especially with international scouting director David Keller keeping a close eye on the Pacific Rim as the club looks for any market edge it can find.
That push comes with the usual uncertainty hanging over the MLB offseason, where a potential lockout could muddy the timeline for everyone involved. Even so, the White Sox are paying attention to the same names drawing leaguewide interest, including Seibu Lions left-hander Kaima Taira, whose 1.46 ERA has made him one of the more closely watched pitchers in Nippon Professional Baseball. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Head To Houston With One Worry Suddenly Front And Center
A rough night in Minnesota left the White Sox with more than a loss to unpack. Zebby Matthews was in control for most of the evening, and Chicagos lineup spent nearly six innings searching for a way to get anything going before the game settled into a 5-1 defeat. Jordan Hicks opened on the mound and the plan never really found its footing, while Tyler Gilbert came on in relief and the offense was left with little margin to work with against a Twins staff that kept the game quiet.
Now the attention shifts to Houston, where a four-game series will give the White Sox little room to let this one linger. Jos Urquidy gave them five innings and one run, which at least offered a small bright spot on a night full of thin ones, but the bigger concern is still the same one that surfaced early in Minnesota: Chicago needs cleaner starts and a lot more offensive life if it wants to avoid another long week. [Read more 🡒]