With October baseball now in view for the White Sox, the rotation is the first place the conversation has to go. Chicago sits in first place in the AL Central as August winds down, and while a postseason spot is still no sure thing with three other teams hanging around in the division, the club has a real shot at its first playoff trip since 2021. If that happens, the big question becomes who the White Sox can actually trust to start games when the lights get brighter.
At the top of that list is Sean Burke, and it’s not especially close. Burke has been the White Sox’ best pitching development success story this season, turning himself into a legitimate frontline starter.
Through 26 outings, he owns a 3.27 ERA, along with 158 strikeouts and a .222 opponent average. Those numbers point to the same conclusion: he’s the most dependable arm on the staff and the likeliest choice to get the ball in Game 1 of a series.
The one blemish is command, which can occasionally drive up his pitch count and cut his outings short, but when he’s on, he can wipe out lineups.
Anthony Kay comes next, and his rise has given the White Sox another option they can feel good about. His return from Japan started slowly, but he’s settled in and become one of the steadier pieces in the rotation.
Entering Tuesday’s start against Texas, Kay had a 3.16 ERA over his last 11 starts, and he hadn’t given up more than three earned runs in a game since June 17th. That’s the kind of profile a postseason team wants from its No. 2 starter: keep the game within reach and let the offense do its work.
He also gives Chicago a useful left-handed look behind Burke, and his postseason experience in Japan adds to the comfort level.
After those two, the trust level drops. Luis Castillo gets the nod next because of what he’s done in big moments before, even though his White Sox stint has been uneven.
He flashed some of his old form in a dominant outing against Cincinnati, but his other three starts with Chicago have mostly been rough. Still, compared with younger or less proven options, Castillo’s history in high-pressure games makes him a safer bet for a rebound.
Davis Martin could force his way into the mix too, but he needs to show he can come back healthy and effective before anyone can pencil him into a playoff start.
Erick Fedde lands fourth. The White Sox shifted him to the bullpen after the trade deadline, and the results there weren’t great, though he has been useful at times this season in a bulk or starter-type role.
He’s tended to work better when an opener goes in front of him, and the home-run issue has been a problem at times. Even so, pairing him with a left-handed opener such as Sean Newcomb is something Chicago has made work before, and Fedde’s veteran experience could matter if the White Sox need someone in a fourth game.
Martin rounds out the group, and right now he’s the hardest starter to trust in a big spot. That would have sounded different two months ago, but his recent outings just haven’t been good enough, especially at the start of games.
The White Sox know what he can look like when everything is clicking, and they may decide to move him up if he gets back to that level, but he still has to prove it. His return is expected soon, so he’ll have roughly a month to show he belongs in the postseason plan.
There are also a few names that could still matter if they pitch their way into the picture. Jose Urquidy, Drew Thorpe and Noah Schultz are all in the mix down the stretch, and any of them could alter the equation with a strong run. For now, though, they remain outside the group the White Sox would likely lean on in a hypothetical playoff series.
In Other News...
White Sox Lose Trade Deadline Arm At A Brutal Time
Huascar Brazobans arrival gave the White Sox a useful late-inning arm for the stretch run, but that option is on hold after the club placed the reliever on the 15-day injured list with a left lat strain. The move comes at an inconvenient time for a bullpen that was already trying to manage workload down the final month, and it forced Chicago to turn to Triple-A Charlotte for reinforcements.
Jonathan Cannon was recalled to fill Brazobans roster spot, while Andrew Benintendi was also moved to the bereavement/family medical emergency list. Rikuu Nishida came up from Charlotte as part of the shuffle, leaving the White Sox to patch together the roster while they wait for Brazoban to return and sort out how long they will be without another regular piece. [Read more 🡒]
Drew Thorpe's Return Could Force A White Sox Rotation Shakeup
The White Sox have spent much of the season trying to piece together reliable starts, and the rotation has rarely given them the same look for long. Drew Thorpes rehab from Tommy John surgery has become one of the more encouraging developments on that front, with his minor league work suggesting he is close to being an option again as September roster expansions arrive.
Jos Urquidys recent rough outing has only sharpened the questions about who stays in the mix, and Thorpes return could create a ripple effect beyond one spot in the rotation. If he is brought back into that group, Davis Martin could be pushed to the bullpen, leaving the White Sox with a decision that reflects both their present struggles and the chance to reset part of the staff down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Could Get A Late Boost From Two Key Youngsters
A couple of notable White Sox youngsters took another step in their comebacks Friday night, with catcher Kyle Teel and right-hander Drew Thorpe both getting work in injury rehab assignments for Triple-A Charlotte during an 8-2 win. Teel served as the designated hitter and went 1-for-4, while Thorpe handled 4 2/3 innings and allowed two runs, giving the organization a chance to keep tabs on two players it has been waiting to see back in more regular game action.
Charlottes rehab group has become a small but important subplot for the White Sox, with Chris Murphy and Davis Martin also working their way back there. For a club that can use help anywhere it can find it, each healthy inning and every live at-bat matters, and the next question is how soon these pieces can be folded back into the big-league picture. [Read more 🡒]