The White Sox are making another late-season shakeup on the mound, and this one could point toward a bigger decision coming fast.
Chicago recalled left-hander Noah Schultz from Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday and designated right-hander José Urquidy for assignment, a move that likely sets Schultz up to start Wednesday’s game. With the rotation and bulk roles wobbling down the stretch, manager Will Venable has been forced to keep searching for answers.
Schultz’s major league season has been rough. In 15 games, including 14 starts, he has a 6.06 ERA with 59 strikeouts and 31 walks across 65.1 innings.
The stuff hasn’t consistently played, and the command has come and gone. But the White Sox have seen a much better version of him in the minors.
Over 11 games, 10 of them starts, Schultz has posted a 2.01 ERA, and since August 8, when he was demoted, that number has been even sharper at 1.66, according to Sam Phelan.
That improvement is part of why Chicago is giving him another look now. The White Sox have already brought up David Sandlin after his progress, and Schultz is getting the same kind of opportunity as the club tries to sort through a string of poor outings from Luis Castillo, Anthony Kay and others.
Urquidy is the roster casualty. The veteran was acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this season for a minor leaguer, but his stint in Chicago never really got going.
In six games, including one start, he put up a 4.37 ERA in 22.2 innings with 15 strikeouts. He frequently labored through outings with high pitch counts and limited effectiveness, so the DFA comes as no surprise.
The move also clears a 40-man spot, which is where Drew Thorpe enters the picture. Thorpe, the centerpiece of the Dylan Cease trade, has been working back from Tommy John surgery and is now healthy. He has been in the minors for the time being, though a promotion has felt close for a while.
According to Adrian White of Future Sox, Tuesday is the last day the White Sox can keep Thorpe on a rehab assignment. By Wednesday, they’ll need to either add him to the major league roster or option him to Triple-A, and either route will require a 40-man opening. That opening is now there.
If the White Sox choose to option Thorpe, it would say plenty about where they see him right now. He has posted a 2.70 ERA in nine rehab starts, so the delay has already raised some questions. The clock is running, and Chicago still needs someone to step forward as it pushes toward its first postseason appearance since 2021.
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