Did the White Sox Promote the Right Arm Before Series Finale with Royals?
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The Chicago White Sox somewhat surprisingly opened up a spot in the rotation earlier this week when they demoted Shane Smith. The 2025 All-Star and Opening Day starter got off to a concerning start that saw him post a 10.80 ERA in his first three outings. While his most recent trip to the mound was his most successful yet, he still managed to throw nearly 100 pitches in just 3.2 innings of work.
As Smith's spot in the rotation loomed, all eyes were on bullpen arms like Grant Taylor and veteran Sean Newcomb as possible replacements. Taylor has shown plenty of promise as an opener this year, while Newcomb has his fair share of experience filling in throughout his career. Nevertheless, the Sox have seemingly opted for a familiar face to re-enter the mix.
The Sox have called up Jonathan Cannon ahead of Sunday's 1:10 meeting with the Kansas City Royals. To make room for him, they have moved Duncan Davitt back to Charlotte, who made his MLB debut earlier this week with a scoreless one inning of work.
Jonathan Cannon Gets Another Shot
White Sox fans know Jonathan Cannon well. The 25-year-old righty was a mainstay in the rotation over the last two seasons. He put together a decent rookie campaign in 2024 with a 4.49 ERA over his 23 performance, but things only trended in the wrong direction from there.
The 2025 season saw Cannon start just 17 games and register a 5.82 ERA. He was repeatedly hit for power and really struggled to get opponents to chase. Things were so ugly that the team eventually chose to send him down to Charlotte before calling him back up to serve in a relief role.
To be sure, Cannon remains a potentially intriguing starter. While he may not offer the highest velocity, he mixes up his pitches as much as anyone in this Sox bullpen with a five-pitch arsenal. You would certainly like to see him be even more deceptive with his imposing six-foot-six frame, but the variety he brings to the mound can be of value.
With that said, no, the production has not been that much better in Triple-A to begin the season. Cannon has started two games and has allowed 12 hits with 8 earned runs. He's also given up a homer in each of his starts. Does that bode well for some innings against the Royals? Probably not, but the Sox are clearly hoping the experience he brings to the table stands out.
For what it's worth, considering Cannon's continued struggles, it sure feels like giving this opportunity to someone like Hagen Smith or Tanner McDougal would have made more sense. Neither would have been ready to go today due to recent starts, but that's also why you think about these things a little further in advance.
Heck, I even wonder if giving Davitt a chance at some extra innings would have been worth it. Both he and Tyler Schweitzer have now been called up and sent down after just one inning of action. Why not do a true bullpen game and evaluate those guys a little further? This might be the perfect time in the season to give that a go.
Elias Schuster is a sports journalist and content creator from the northern suburbs of Chicago. A graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he has covered the Bulls since 2019-20 and previously served as the editor of BN Bulls at Bleacher Nation. He has been the Publisher for Bulls On SI since December of the 2025-26 season. When he isn't obsessing over hoops, Elias spends his time obsessing over practically every other sport – much to his wife's dismay. He also loves strolling the streets of Chicago for the best cozy bar or restaurant to set up shop and write his next article.
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