White Sox Make Questionable Bullpen Change After Losing Jordan Leasure to IL
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After a series win against the Minnesota Twins, the Chicago White Sox will host the Detroit Tigers for a weekend series.
Before Friday's opener, the White Sox announced that right-handed reliever Jordan Leasure has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a right flexor strain. In a corresponding move, left-handed reliever Tyler Gilbert was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte.
This is a concerning injury for Leasure, who had been in the middle of a massive funk. In his last seven innings, Leasure has given up seven earned runs and has a 6.27 ERA on the year. Flexor strains can often lead to Tommy John surgery, so this will certainly be an injury to watch.
Prior to tonight’s series opener vs. Detroit, the Chicago White Sox placed right-handed pitcher Jordan Leasure on the 15-day injured list with a right flexor strain and recalled left-hander Tyler Gilbert from Class AAA Charlotte.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 29, 2026
Who is Tyler Gilbert?
This will be Gilbert's third stint with the White Sox this year. In two games this year (2.2 innings), he has given up six earned runs, including two home runs. After those two disastrous games at the beginning of the season, Gilbert was sent down to Charlotte.
In 13 Triple-A games (23.1 innings), Gilbert has a 3.09 ERA with 21 strikeouts and just five walks. For a hitter-friendly league, those are very strong numbers for a pitcher.
In 46 games (51 innings) during the 2025 season with Chicago, Gilbert had a 3.88 ERA. Gilbert is known for throwing a no-hitter in his first career start with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The 32-year-old reliever will enter a much-improved Chicago bullpen. Anchored by Seranthony Dominguez, Bryan Hudson, and Grant Taylor, the White Sox' relief arms have been borderline-dominant since the beginning of the season with those three in their roles.
However, White Sox fans might ask why Gilbert was the reliever brought up for two reasons.
Why Was Gilbert Brought Up?
Ben Peoples, a 25-year-old reliever in Charlotte, has been dominant. In 19 games (25.2 innings), Peoples has pitched to a 1.40 ERA with 30 strikeouts, outstanding for Triple-A.
The right-hander has seemed worthy of a promotion for weeks now, but remains in the minors. It's unclear when Peoples will be promoted. Another reason why fans might question this move is the abundance of left-handed relievers already on the White Sox roster. Gilbert will join Sean Newcomb, Brandon Eisert, and Hudson as southpaws in the bullpen.
Four left-handed relievers seem like too many for a roster that already has lefty Anthony Kay starting. While Gilbert has had success with Chicago in the past, this may not have been the right call-up at this stage of the season. We'll see!
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