White Sox Get a Promising Update on Drew Thorpe After Setback

The Chicago White Sox seem to have a never-ending list of high-upside arms.

Shane Smith and Grant Taylor are two who burst onto the scene in 2025. Noah Schultz, Hagen Smith, and Tanner McDougal represent three who are waiting in the wings and rank Top 6 in the team's farm system. It can be hard to keep track of everyone who could have a meaningful impact during the 2026 campaign, especially if that player hasn't been on the mound in over a year!

One of the Sox' most fascinating pitchers was forced to miss the entirety of last season. It was announced a little over one year ago that Drew Thorpe would undergo Tommy John's surgery. The news came in the wake of Thorpe's MLB debut season, where he started all nine of the games he appeared in and registered a 5.48 ERA.

The young righty was initially shut down during that 2024 campaign due to right elbow surgery. While he tried to ramp up later that offseason, he was forced to leave his first spring training game after only one inning with discomfort. The Sox soon revealed that Thorpe would require one of the most intensive surgeries for pitchers, essentially ruling him out for at least a year.

Fast forward to this offseason, and Thorpe was trending in the right direction before news broke of tendinitis in his surgically repaired elbow roughly three weeks back. There is no question that the news raised some immediate concerns, but it appears he is now back on track as spring training enters its weeks.

Drew Thorpe Making Progress for White Sox

Drew Thorpe of the Chicago White Sox — Jul 31, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Drew Thorpe (33) throws against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

According to Scott Merkin of MLB.com, Drew Thorpe threw a 20-pitch bullpen session of all fastballs earlier this week. He has seemingly come out of that practice run feeling good and is expected to throw again on Friday. Merkin shared that Thorpe believes the recent spell of tendinitis will only set him back a couple of weeks in his overall recovery.

Of course, Thorpe still has a long way to go before convincing anyone that he is ready to return to the major league mound. His injury history is also deep enough that fans must proceed with only cautious optimism. Nevertheless, there is no denying that this is an update you want to hear, especially for a team that is looking to take the next competitive step over the next handful of months.

Drew Thorpe: "Good sign, feeling good. Now it’s just feeling normal TJ rehab stuff versus anything extra. Bullpen was good on Tuesday, just continue to build on that."
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) March 5, 2026

Acquired in the Dylan Cease trade with the San Diego Padres, Thorpe remains one of the organization's most fascinating arms. While he may have struggled during his initial call-up, his minor league numbers were absolutely intoxicating. Thorpe registered a 1.35 ERA in his 11 starts with the Sox' Double-A affiliate in 2024, striking out 56 batters in his 60.0 innings pitched. During his 2023 campaign before that, he recorded a 2.52 ERA over 23 starts split between both High-A and Double-A.

The Sox system is full of high-octane throwers, which only makes Thorpe's potential return stand out that much more. While he may struggle in the velocity department, he makes up for it with his command. He has a nasty change-up and an above-average slider. With that in mind, there is certainly hope that all this recent surgical work will not impact his effectiveness as much.

Once again, this latest news doesn't suggest that Thorpe will be pitching at The Rate in a matter of weeks, but it's an encouraging update after a long journey for Thorpe. Especially when we remember he is only 25 years old, it's hard not to think about the role he could still play in helping turn this organization around.