Ranking 5 Starting Pitchers the White Sox Might Call Up Before the Playoffs
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The Chicago White Sox could still use pitching help.
As the AL Central race kicks into high gear, the team is feeling the impact of not making a stronger push to land another starting arm at the trade deadline. They have dropped three of their last four games and are fresh off losing starter Davis Martin to an IL stint. Meanwhile, someone like Erick Fedde hasn't necessarily performed well enough to be a consistent member of the rotation.
The good news for the White Sox is that they have plenty of options to turn to in the minors. The bad news is that they all come with a level of uncertainty. Regardless, Scott Merkin of MLB.com shared that fans should expect to see a Triple-A arm called up as starting pitching depth. The names he threw out were: Noah Schultz, Shane Smith, David Sandlin, Drew Thorpe, and Jonathan Cannon.
With those specific players in mind, let's try to rank the best options for a late-season promotion. And we'll start things off with the biggest unknown of the group!
1. Drew Thorpe
It would be bold to call up someone who hasn't pitched since 2024 at this pivotal point in the season, but it could be worth a shot with Drew Thorpe. A blue-chip piece of the Dylan Cease trade with the San Diego Padres, Thorpe was expected to be a main part of the White Sox' rotation by now. Then, the injuries took over.
He missed the entirety of the 2025 campaign due to Tommy John surgery. The lengthy recovery finally led to him retaking the mound in mid-July, where he has now slowly climbed his way back through the organization's system. He most recently joined the Charlotte Knights on August 12 and has started two games.
Thorpe has gone 5.0 innings in each Triple-A outing, allowing a combined 3 earned runs with eight hits. He also struck out a combined 12 batters. The change-up, in particular, was working in his favor. The fastball also touched the mid-90s.
Drew Thorpe led Triple-A with 15 whiffs Wednesday.
— Adrian White (@AdrianWhiteSox) August 21, 2026
5 IP | 5 H | 2 ER | 2 BB | 6 K | 83 pitches
Changeup got 11 whiffs on 15 swings and he touched 94.0 mph. In the mix to help the #WhiteSox in late August/September. pic.twitter.com/u0gSo41L9W
Look, there is no ignoring the fact that Thorpe has only pitched in a total of six games so far. It's not a particularly comforting sample size, especially for someone coming off such a major injury. But as far as potential difference-makers go down the stretch, the element of the unknown with Thorpe is very exciting.
Not to mention, when compared to the other names on this list, Thorpe has simply been the most effective arm over his last handful of starts.
2. Noah Schultz
Noah Schultz had a 6.06 ERA through 15 major league appearances this season, where he went 3-9. The White Sox gave him a pretty long leash in the starting rotation, and it's safe to say he failed to look as comfortable as the team hoped.
Indeed, with numbers like that, it would feel like a risk to throw him back into the rotation over the last month of the season. But Schultz is also 23 years old and undoubtedly has some of the best stuff in the system.
On top of that, he has continued to destroy at the minor league level. In his last two starts back with Charlotte, Schultz has gone a combined 8.0 innings with only six hits and a single earned run allowed.
It's also not as if he was a complete disaster over his final few games in the majors. Yes, things were rough to start his August 7 outing against the Guardians, where he allowed 2 earned runs before a Will Venable blunder resulted in him being pulled. However, in his 5.0-inning game before that, Schultz limited the Rays to only three hits and 1 earned run.
Schultz has a deep arsenal, which is headlined by a sinker and four-seamer that live in the mid-90s. He also found some decent success with his sweeper, which he threw roughly 18.0 percent of the time. At the end of the day, he offers a mix that not many in this White Sox' rotation do, and this could be enough to earn him another shot before the season concludes.
Again, the White Sox already seemed a bit hesitant to send him down, so they clearly liked something they were seeing.
3. Shane Smith
As cliché as it is to say, Shane Smith's White Sox journey has been a true rollercoaster. He was snagged in the Rule 5 Draft from the Milwaukee Brewers ahead of last season, only to turn into the team's best pitcher and make his first All-Star Game. Fast forward to this year, and there was no surprise when he was named the Opening Day starter.
Nevertheless, he failed to last 1.2 innings in that first game against his old squad, giving up 3 earned runs and walking two batters. The next start was just as worrisome, with Smith allowing eight hits and 7 earned runs in only 3.0 innings of work. After one more shot that featured five walks, Smith was sent down to Triple-A.
He's been trying to earn his way back to the majors since April. Some injury trouble has gotten in the way, which is why he only has 11 starts for the Knights. Those starts have also left plenty to be desired, as he has a 5.44 ERA with a 1.43 WHIP.
Calling up Smith would be making the safe-ish choice. You know he hasn't been at his best this season, but you also know what to expect and that he has the experience. The White Sox have gotten some good work from their bullpen lately, which could make them even more confident in their ability to handle the games where Smith doesn't have it.
4. David Sandlin
The White Sox clearly have some high hopes for David Sandlin. They acquired him from the Boston Red Sox this past offseason in a deal with the Boston Red Sox. To be sure, Jordan Hicks also came over in that trade, but Sandlin seemed to be the real piece GM Chris Getz was after.
Sandlin's first start in a White Sox uniform went about as well as expected. He threw 6.0 innings of one-hit ball, which happened to be a homer. Unfortunately, the inexperience started to show in his next two outings. He allowed a jarring 8 earned runs against the Minnesota Twins before giving up 3 more earned runs to the Phillies. He also walked a combined seven batters. Chicago moved Sandlin back to Charlotte in mid-June.
They have called him up two more times since then, underscoring how hopeful they appear to be that he can figure things out. However, his last outing saw him give up 6 earned runs again and bump his MLB ERA to 6.93.
So ... are they really going to trust him again at this point in the season? They may be best off turning their attention to 2027, when perhaps this taste of MLB action will have Sandlin looking more in control.
5. Jonathan Cannon
Stop trying to make Jonathan Cannon happen.
Chicago White Sox fans who have stuck with the team these past few years are well aware of Cannon. The 26-year-old started 21 games in 2024 before appearing in another 22 in 2025. During that span, the production has only trended downward, as he ended last season with a 5.82 ERA and a hard-hit rate that sat in just the 13th percentile.
Cannon simply hasn't been able to display an elite skill and has continued to be up and down at the minor league level. This includes allowing a combined 10 earned runs over his last two outings alone. It's possible that the White Sox value his major league experience, but it's hard to imagine that's enough to earn him a call-up amid an AL Central race.
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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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