The White Sox are running out of runway with Drew Thorpe.
After months of waiting, the club has reached the point where it has to make a call on the right-hander, who has been working his way back from Tommy John surgery. Tuesday, September 15th marks 60 days since Thorpe officially started his rehab assignment, which is the maximum allowed under the rules once the three 10-day extensions are used.
At that point, the White Sox either need to activate him or option him to Charlotte, and either way he has to come off the 60-day IL. That means a 40-man roster spot has to be opened, so the decision can’t be kicked down the road anymore.
Thorpe’s road back has been a long one. His last major league start came on July 31st, 2024, before he was shut down for the final two months of that season after surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow. Then, after reporting to spring training in 2025, he suffered a UCL injury that required Tommy John surgery and missed all of 2025.
Now that he’s back in action, the early results have been strong. Through nine rehab starts, Thorpe has put up a 2.70 ERA and a 35/9 K/BB ratio.
His fastball velocity has been close to where it was before the injury, and his changeup - the pitch that has always been his out pitch - has been missing bats in the minors. For a White Sox rotation that has been uneven and hasn’t consistently worked deep into games, that’s the kind of profile that gets your attention fast.
If it were up to me, Thorpe would be in the big league rotation for the final stretch.
The White Sox have been searching for reliable bulk innings, and Thorpe looks like a legitimate option to help there. If the season ended today, the expected mix for a playoff series would be some combination of Sean Burke, Anthony Kay, Davis Martin, and Erick Fedde.
But that picture isn’t locked in. David Sandlin carried a perfect game into the sixth inning on Sunday against the Cardinals and seems likely to get another start.
Sean Newcomb, Hagen Smith, and Jose Urquidy have also been used as bulk inning arms out of the bullpen. Luis Castillo, acquired at the trade deadline, is still on hand too, though it’s getting harder to make the case for him as a postseason roster piece.
That leaves Thorpe right in the middle of a crowded but unsettled group. If the White Sox are hesitant to toss him into a pennant race immediately after a major injury, that’s understandable. But there’s a strong argument for giving him a chance down the stretch and seeing what he can do.
Either way, the clock is almost up. Within the next 24 hours or so, the White Sox should know whether Thorpe is going to factor into their 2026 plans. If he doesn’t, he still looks positioned to be a significant part of the picture in 2027.
In Other News...
White Sox Make A Risky Pitching Call With Cleveland Closing In
With Cleveland closing in, the White Sox are leaning into a matchup-driven pitching plan for Game 2 of the series, using left-hander Chris Murphy as the opener before handing the bulk of the innings to right-hander Davis Martin. Murphy was just recalled from Triple-A, and the move adds another layer of intrigue for a club trying to protect a slim edge in the American League Central.
Martin has been one of the steadier arms in the rotation, working 26 starts with a 9-7 record and a 4.05 ERA, so Chicago is trusting him to carry the heavier load after Murphy handles the early frame. It is the kind of aggressive call that can look smart if the pitching line holds, and risky if the Guardians force the White Sox to keep reaching deeper into the bullpen. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Just Created A New Drew Thorpe Decision
The White Sox reshaped their pitching picture by recalling left-hander Noah Schultz from Triple-A Charlotte and designating right-hander Jos Urquidy for assignment. Schultz is expected to get the ball in an upcoming game, giving Chicago another look at a young arm while also clearing the kind of roster space that often hints at a larger move down the line.
Drew Thorpe is the name now hovering over that opening. He is finishing a rehab assignment, and the White Sox soon have to decide whether to bring him back to the major league roster or option him to Triple-A. With one roster move already made, the next step is lined up, and it could tell a lot about where Chicago thinks Thorpe fits in the short term. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Face A Bigger September Test Than Just Cleveland
The White Sox are trying to keep their grip on first place in the AL Central as they head into a crucial late-season series against Cleveland, a stretch that should say plenty about how real this run has become. Chicago also added pitcher Luis Castillo in a trade, hoping he would help steady the staff down the stretch, but his early work has not matched the level the club expected when it brought him in.
Mike Shirleys resignation as amateur scouting director adds another layer to the month, because the White Sox are now weighing whether to restructure that part of the front office. So while the immediate focus stays on the Guardians and the division race, the bigger September question is how much the organization wants to change behind the scenes even as it tries to finish in front. [Read more 🡒]