The White Sox are getting a welcome wave of injury help at just the right time.
According to the club’s pregame notes relayed by the Chicago Tribune’s LaMond Pope, Austin Hays has officially started an injury rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte. Everson Pereira and Drew Thorpe are next up, with both set to begin rehab work Saturday. Pereira will head to Charlotte alongside Hays, while Thorpe is slated to start in the Arizona Complex League.
That’s a meaningful development for a Chicago team sitting at 51-45 and tied with Cleveland for first place in the American League Central. If the White Sox are going to keep this thing rolling into September, getting bodies back may end up being the biggest addition Chris Getz can make before the deadline. That’s no small task in a seller’s market, where the asking prices have reportedly been steep.
Hays has been out since May 2 because of a left calf strain, and his return should give the lineup another veteran right-handed bat. Chicago has leaned heavily on Braden Montgomery, so adding Hays back into the mix could help deepen things. Pereira has been sidelined since June 18 with a concussion, and his rehab assignment gives the Sox another bat moving in the right direction.
Thorpe is the longer-term story. The right-hander hasn’t pitched in the majors since undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2025, and the White Sox will take their time with him as he works through his progression. Still, if everything goes smoothly, he could work his way into the rotation picture for the stretch run.
The early expectation is that Hays and Pereira will spend their rehab stint in Charlotte and could be in line to rejoin the White Sox next Friday, when the club opens a homestand against the Houston Astros. Thorpe’s path is slower, with Arizona first and Charlotte after that. He remains the crown jewel from the Dylan Cease trade, and the organization sees him as a starter who could be part of the young core for years.
There’s also a possibility the White Sox keep Thorpe ready in Charlotte if the race stays tight. If he’s progressing well and the team needs another arm, a bullpen call-up isn’t out of the question.
For once, the Sox aren’t talking about subtracting talent. They’re talking about getting healthier while the standings still matter.
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Burkes outing fit the broader shape of what has become a notable midseason turnaround after a rough stretch in May and June, and the White Sox are suddenly playing with the kind of confidence that comes with sitting atop the division. They are one game ahead of the Guardians now, and the next test comes quickly with a three-game trip to Texas beginning Monday against Jacob deGrom. [Read more 🡒]