White Sox Roster Moves: Noah Schultz Returns, Veteran DFA'd, Drew Thorpe Coming?
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We're nearing the end of the regular season for the Chicago White Sox. Amid the final stretch, the White Sox are trying out potential pitchers for the postseason. With the struggles starting arms have had lately for the South Siders, manager Will Venable was essentially left with no choice.
With that in mind, the White Sox have announced that left-hander Noah Schultz has been recalled from Triple-A Charlotte, while right-hander José Urquidy has been designated for assignment.
Why Did the White Sox Make This Move?
This likely means that Noah Schultz will start Wednesday's game. Being likened to legendary left-hander Randy Johnson, Schultz has not lived up to the comparison thus far. In 15 games (14 starts) for Chicago, he has pitched to an egregiously high 6.06 ERA with 59 strikeouts and 31 walks in 65.1 innings. His stuff looked flat, and his control was shaky at best.
However, it's been a different story in the minor leagues. In 11 games (10 starts), Schultz has a 2.01 ERA with much better control and strikeout numbers. This includes a very promising 1.66 ERA since August 8 (h/t Sam Phelan), when he was demoted. It's possible that he figured things out in Triple-A. We've already seen David Sandlin up recently after his progress. Why not get another look at what you have in Schultz before the postseason amid terrible performances from Luis Castillo, Anthony Kay, and others?
A struggling veteran has been DFA'd in Urquidy to make room for the rookie. He was acquired for a minor leaguer from the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this season. When he was elevated to the majors to fill an emergency starter/bulk reliever role, he disappointed. In six games (one start), he pitched to a 4.37 ERA in just 22.2 innings with 15 strikeouts. He often struggled to get through outings with high pitch counts and overall ineffectiveness. In other words, it's not surprising to see him go.
Does This Mean Drew Thorpe is Coming?
While this is a 26-man roster move for now, it opens up a 40-man roster spot. And who better to add to the 40-man roster at this point than Drew Thorpe? The headliner of the Dylan Cease trade has been recovering from Tommy John surgery. Now healthy, he has seemingly been relegated to the minor leagues for the time being. While everyone thought it would happen by now, it could soon come to fruition.
According to Adrian White of Future Sox, Tuesday is the final day that the White Sox are allowed to keep Thorpe on a rehab assignment. They'll either have to add him to the major league roster or option him to Triple-A by tomorrow. Either way, it will require a 40-man spot, which has now been opened.
It will be extremely telling of the organization's opinion of Thorpe if the White Sox choose to option him tomorrow. Especially since he has pitched to a 2.70 ERA in nine rehab starts. It's not clear what the White Sox are waiting for when it comes to Thorpe, but this long of a wait can't be a good sign. Time is ticking to see if Thorpe or someone else can step up for the White Sox in their first postseason appearance since 2021.
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Matthew Singer is a contributor for White Sox on SI. Before joining SI in 2026, he worked for Heavy as an MLB contributor and Cubs on SI. Singer has a master's degree in sports journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. He loves sports more than anything in the world.