Noah Schultz was initially in line to take the ball for the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night. Instead, he watched from the dugout as David Sandlin carved through the Minnesota Twins lineup in his MLB debut.
Schultz was placed on the 15-day injured list earlier this week with right knee patellar tendinitis. He said the issue has lingered for about a week, but described it as “mild” and added that he expects to begin throwing bullpen sessions in the coming days.
“It’s just something you want to catch before it gets worse,” Schultz told reporters on Wednesday.
While the IL stint appears precautionary, it’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time Schultz has dealt with the issue. He missed multiple weeks last season with right knee tendinitis, an injury that worsened when he attempted to pitch through it.
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He is also just three years removed from a flexor strain and shoulder impingement that limited him to just 27 innings in his professional debut in 2023. While those shoulder concerns appear to be behind him, the recurring knee issues could raise some questions moving forward.
Schultz’s fastball sits in the upper 90s, but at 6-foot-10, maintaining consistent lower-half drive becomes more difficult when he can’t fully plant his right leg. A lack of leg drive can force greater reliance on arm strength, which in turn can increase stress on the shoulder.
Schultz got off to a solid start this season after his call-up, posting a 2.53 ERA over his first four starts while striking out 20 batters across 21.1 innings.
However, since May 6, his results have dipped, with his ERA climbing to 5.82 over his last four outings and just 13 strikeouts in 17.1 innings. In his most recent start against the San Francisco Giants, he was tagged for six runs over four innings and recorded only one strikeout. His fastball, which sat around 97 mph in his debut, has also seen its velocity dip to around 94 mph.
While it’s still too early to sound any alarms on Schultz, the knee issue is worth keeping a close eye on. The White Sox were right to err on the side of caution, opting to prevent a minor concern from developing into something more serious.
“It’s definitely pretty mild,” Schultz told MLB.com. “Just trying to catch it before it gets worse and have it cleared up. Still early in the season. Again, just trying to get it to go away.”
