White Sox Face Early Spring Training Setback as Drew Thorpe Slows Rehab
The first week of Spring Training hasn’t even wrapped, and the White Sox are already facing an early test of their pitching depth. Right-hander Drew Thorpe, one of the key pieces acquired in the Dylan Cease trade with San Diego, is dealing with some elbow soreness as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery. It’s not a red alert just yet, but it’s enough to pump the brakes on his rehab - and raise some eyebrows in camp.
“I haven’t gotten off the mound,” Thorpe said earlier this week. “I got out to 120-ish, was feeling it a little bit, so went and saw Dr.
Meister last week. Said the ligament looks good, everything looks good in there.
Dealing with some flexor stuff so slowing it down a little bit. We’ll see how the next couple of weeks go.”
That’s the silver lining here: structurally, everything looks fine. But flexor discomfort is no small thing, especially for a pitcher coming off UCL reconstruction. The White Sox weren’t banking on Thorpe being ready for Opening Day - midseason was always the more realistic target - but this latest development could push that timeline back even further.
Why Thorpe Matters
The White Sox didn’t just trade away an ace in Dylan Cease - they bet big on the return, and Thorpe was the centerpiece. The 23-year-old righty climbed the prospect rankings in a hurry after dominating Double-A in 2024. In 11 starts with Birmingham, he carved up hitters with a 1.35 ERA, showcasing elite command of a low-90s fastball and a devastating changeup that drew plenty of swing-and-miss.
That performance earned him a direct call-up to the majors, skipping Triple-A entirely. And while his first taste of the big leagues came with some growing pains, there were flashes of real promise. Thorpe delivered quality starts in six of his first nine outings, but when he missed his spots, big-league hitters made him pay - he gave up 21 earned runs in the other three starts combined.
Then came the elbow issues. First it was bone spurs that cut short his 2024 season.
Then, during 2025 Spring Training, Thorpe was diagnosed with a torn UCL, leading to Tommy John surgery. The hope was that he'd be ready for the second half of 2026.
Now, with this new flexor soreness, even that timeline feels uncertain.
Berroa Trending Up
While Thorpe’s rehab has hit a snag, there’s better news on the bullpen front. Prelander Berroa, another pitcher who underwent Tommy John surgery last spring, has already thrown off a mound three times and is reportedly feeling strong. According to MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, Berroa has even added a changeup to his arsenal - a notable development for a power arm that already features an electric fastball-slider combo.
The key difference here? Role and workload.
As a reliever, Berroa’s path back is a bit more streamlined than Thorpe’s. He won’t be asked to go deep into games or face lineups multiple times.
If his arm holds up, he could be a factor in the bullpen relatively early in the season.
Other Arms in the Mix
The White Sox are also monitoring the progress of Ky Bush and Mason Adams, two more young starters who had Tommy John surgery early last year. Both are in Arizona for camp, but their current status remains unclear. With so many arms in various stages of rehab, managing workloads and avoiding setbacks will be a top priority for the training staff.
The team does have depth - at least on paper - but it’s young, unproven, and now being tested before exhibition games have even begun.
The Cease Trade Under the Microscope
It’s still early, but with Thorpe slowed, Jairo Iriarte no longer on the 40-man roster, and no immediate impact from the return package, the Cease trade is under increasing scrutiny. Chris Getz and the front office made a calculated gamble by trading their ace for volume and upside. Now, it’s all about development - and durability.
Thorpe remains a high-upside arm, and the White Sox are right to be cautious. If a few weeks of rest and rehab get him back on track, this will be a minor blip in a long season. But if the soreness lingers or evolves into something more serious, it could reshape not just the 2026 rotation plans, but the long-term outlook of one of the franchise’s most important trades in recent years.
For now, the hope is that Thorpe’s elbow just needs a little more time - and that the rest of the White Sox pitching pipeline can stay healthy long enough to hold the line.