The White Sox made a small but notable roster shuffle this week, and it cost them veteran right-hander Jose Urquidy.
With Drew Thorpe ready to come off the 60-day injured list, Chicago needed a spot on the 40-man roster. Urquidy ended up being the casualty, and the Phillies jumped in with a waiver claim. He’s now headed to Philadelphia, even though he won’t be eligible for a postseason roster.
Urquidy’s path to this point has been a winding one. He broke into the majors with the Astros in 2019 at age 24 and became part of Houston’s rotation by 2021.
Over five seasons there, he logged 15 postseason appearances, put up a 4.08 ERA in the playoffs, and picked up a World Series ring in 2022. An injury erased his entire 2024 season, and after Houston non-tendered him, he moved on to the Tigers, where he made only two appearances in 2025.
He landed with the Pirates for 2026, but that stop went poorly early, with an 8.53 ERA in five relief outings before he was sent down. Chicago then picked him up in a minor trade a week before the deadline, hoping he could add some pitching depth.
The results in a White Sox uniform were uneven. He opened with a 2.25 ERA in three Triple-A starts at Charlotte before getting his shot in Chicago.
There were flashes, including a strong outing against the Cubs at Wrigley Field in August, but he also struggled in a start against Texas the following week. After that, the White Sox mostly used him as a bulk reliever.
In all, he finished with a 4.37 ERA in six appearances for the club.
Once Thorpe’s rehab assignment hit its 60-day limit, Urquidy no longer had a clear path to stay. Chicago designated him for assignment earlier this week, and Philadelphia scooped him up on waivers.
Now the White Sox move on with nine games left in the season and a few other arms available to absorb the innings Urquidy had been covering. David Sandlin is set to start Friday night against Detroit, Luis Castillo has shifted to the bullpen and could work in a multi-inning role, and Sean Newcomb, Grant Taylor, and Hagen Smith have all been handling multiple innings regularly this year.
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