After being sidelined with right patellar tendinitis, Noah Schultz is set to return to the mound for his first appearance since May 24.
Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable confirmed that Schultz will take the ball against the Baltimore Orioles Wednesday, saying that the 6’10 southpaw is “feeling really good.”
While Schultz is a welcome addition back to the starting rotation, his lingering right knee issues remain something to monitor going forward.
When Schultz was placed on the 15-day injured list in late May, he said the issue had been bothering him for about a week, though he described it as “mild” and added that he expected to begin throwing bullpen sessions in the coming days.
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While the IL stint was described as precautionary, there were some red flags, since it was not the first time Schultz has dealt with the issue. Last season, he missed multiple weeks with right knee tendinitis, an injury that worsened when he attempted to pitch through it.
Schultz’s fastball sits in the upper 90s, but at 6-foot-10, maintaining consistent lower-half drive becomes more difficult when he’s unable to fully plant his right leg. Reduced leg drive can also force him to rely more heavily on arm strength, which in turn can add stress to the shoulder.
Concerns aside, getting Schultz back in the fold gives the White Sox a much-needed boost to the rotation. He opened the season strongly 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 trended in the wrong direction, with his ERA rising 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, Schultz was tagged for six runs over four innings and recorded just one strikeout. His fastball, which sat around 97 mph in his debut, has dipped to roughly 94 mph. While some of the added velocity can be attributed to the adrenaline of an MLB debut, if his knee is back to full strength, that velocity should begin trending back in the right direction.
In his last rehab start with the Charlotte Knights, his fastball was averaging 95 mph, with his sinker hovering around 96 mph. He also looked like his usual self, throwing 4.2 innings of two-run ball while racking up seven strikeouts and only allowing three hits.
While the White Sox would obviously like to see Schultz in top form moving forward, given his previous history with the knee issue and the importance of his long-term development, the focus will be as much on durability and consistency as it is on immediate results.
