After taking the series against the Cleveland Guardians, the Chicago White Sox will head into a weekend matchup with the Kansas City Royals.
The White Sox had not announced a starter for Friday’s game as of Thursday night, but that has now changed.
Chicago has recalled right-handed pitcher David Sandlin from Triple-A to make Friday’s start. In a corresponding roster move, the club optioned left-handed pitcher Joe Rock to Triple-A.
While Rock had a solid 3.48 ERA and was eating up innings, he had 11 walks in 10.1 innings, an inexcusable number for any pitcher. Rock was great at limiting damage, so it’s possible we see him again at some point this season.
Is David Sandlin Ready for Another Stint?
Sandlin was an 11th-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft by the Kansas City Royals. He spent much of his minor league career with the Boston Red Sox before being included in the Jordan Hicks trade.
As White Sox fans know, Sandlin dominated his first start with Chicago. In six innings, his leadoff home run given up to Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton was the only time anybody got on base, as he retired 18 straight for the win.
Since then, he has been abysmal, giving up 11 runs in 7.1 innings. White Sox fans will hope that he will put in a better outing than the last two in the majors. While his previous two Triple-A starts are encouraging, there might have been a better option in the minors.
If the White Sox had done a four-man rotation until Tuesday, which would be the next time they would have needed a spot starter, they could have brought up an even higher-regarded prospect.
Mason Adams, after missing about a year and a half from Tommy John surgery, is finally back and pitching like his old self.
The White Sox drafted Adams in the 13th round of the 2022 MLB Draft. Adams is known for his above-average curveball and elite control. While his fastball averages 90-93, he throws his breaking balls much more.
Before Tommy John, Adams had put up a 2.92 ERA in 120.1 innings with 110 strikeouts, proving he can still strike out batters with a subpar fastball. This year in eight starts, he has a 2.33 ERA in a hitter-friendly Triple-A league. In 27 innings, he has 28 strikeouts and just five walks.
Sandlin will now face the AL Central’s worst team, the Kansas City Royals, and hope to replicate his success in his first MLB start.
