The White Sox are running out of clean answers at the back end of their rotation, and the last couple of days made that painfully clear.
Saturday’s win still gave them a third straight series victory, but it came with Andrew Benintendi as the only hitter in the lineup to record a hit. The real lift came from Erick Fedde, who finally gave the club a starter who could work through five innings - the first White Sox starter to do that in more than a week.
Then Sunday swung the other way. The White Sox had to piece things together with Jordan Hicks and Tyler Gilbert opening before handing the game to Jose Urquidy, and the whole day turned into a rough outing across the board.
That kind of instability has hit the rotation hard, especially after the blister issue for Davis Martin pushed the back end into constant shuffle mode. Rather than keep leaning on openers in front of Urquidy, the White Sox have two obvious arms waiting in Charlotte.
The first is right-hander Drew Thorpe, and it’s getting tougher to argue there’s much left to prove. Thorpe, a former top prospect, has now made seven rehab starts as he works back from Tommy John surgery, with three of those coming in Charlotte.
He’s put up a 3.04 ERA over that stretch, and the bigger sign is that he got all the way to 87 pitches in his last outing on Tuesday. He was supposed to start for Charlotte on Sunday night, but did not take the ball, so that’s something worth watching.
There’s also a built-in opening coming Tuesday, when the White Sox can expand the roster from 26 to 28. That could give them the chance to bring Thorpe back and map out a September rotation of Sean Burke, Anthony Kay, Davis Martin, Luis Castillo, and Thorpe.
The only catch is the 40-man roster spot he would need, which means someone would have to be designated for assignment. So far, that’s been a move the White Sox have been reluctant to make.
If they want a simpler path, right-hander David Sandlin is already on the 40-man and has a case too.
Sandlin has made five appearances for the White Sox this season and owns a 6.93 ERA, but that number doesn’t tell the full story. His results have bounced around, with two strong outings and three rough ones.
In Charlotte, though, he’s been excellent. Sandlin has a 2.12 ERA in 15 outings for the Knights, and his latest statement came Saturday night with seven scoreless innings.
His fastball was humming, touching 99 and sitting around 97, which makes him look ready to go right now.
The White Sox haven’t exactly put him in the easiest spots. He faced the same team twice in a row and was asked to relieve Noah Schultz in the first inning after a mistake by Will Venable. Still, giving Sandlin a chance to start in a more normal role over the final month could help both him and the club.
With the rotation thinning and some of the other starters starting to wear down, Thorpe and Sandlin look like the two clearest reinforcements on hand. For the White Sox, the question is whether the front office will actually make the move.
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Chicago also shuffled its bullpen in recent days, reinstating Tyler Schweitzer and optioning Tyler Gilbert, with Tanner McDougal expected to be activated soon as well. The late moves have created a little more clarity on the pitching side, but they also leave the White Sox weighing how to balance their bench and outfield depth as the roster gets tighter, especially with Jordan Leasure already out after Tommy John surgery and not expected back until spring 2028. [Read more 🡒]