White Sox Rotation Takes a Hit as Pérez Lands on 60-Day IL in Roster Shuffle

The White Sox have placed Martín Pérez on the 60-day injured list, leaving their starting rotation in a precarious spot. In a corresponding move, former Red Sox infielder Bobby Dalbec was called up from Triple-A Charlotte and is set to face his former team in the series finale. Meanwhile, the team’s No. 8 prospect, Chase Meidroth, heads to the 10-day injured list with a thumb injury.

Pérez only made it through three innings in his last start against the Red Sox, leaving the game with left forearm inflammation after just 52 pitches. He allowed four runs on five hits with a pair of walks and no strikeouts in a 10-3 blowout loss at Fenway Park. 

Martín Pérez Injury Leaves Major Void in White Sox Rotation

Losing Pérez is a massive blow for the starting rotation. The 34-year-old southpaw was signed to eat innings and be the veteran leader of a young pitching staff with an average age of 27 years. 

But early in the season, the former World Series champion gave the White Sox more than they bargained for, quickly establishing himself as one of the team’s most effective hurlers. Through his first four starts, he posted a 1-1 record and 3.15 ERA. He also led White Sox pitchers in innings pitched (22.1), strikeouts (18), WHIP (1.25), and opponent batting average (.197), all without throwing a pitch over 90 mph.

Not only was Pérez a leader in the clubhouse, but his hot start also made him a potential trade candidate at the deadline. Under his current timeline, he might not return to action until late June. 

Now the White Sox will need to find someone to pick up the slack. The team has Bryce Wilson and Tyler Gilbert in the bullpen as potential options to temporarily fill the void or Mike Clevinger, who recently cleared on waivers, in Triple-A Charlotte. Still, none of these options offers much in the way of reassurance.

Adding insult to injury is the fact that the rest of the White Sox rotation has struggled to go deep into games, which has put added pressure on the bullpen. Jonathan Cannon and Sean Burke are averaging under five innings a start this season, while Shane Smith and Davis Martin have yet to make it into the seventh inning. 

Dalbec Gets His Shot

Dalbec has been tearing the cover off the ball in Charlotte, hitting .326/.354/.696 with three doubles, a triple, and four homers. He inked a minor league deal with the White Sox in January but failed to make the Opening Day roster in Spring Training. 

The 29-year-old was drafted by the Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2016 draft. He spent five seasons in Boston and owns a career .222/.290/.425 slash lone with 47 homers and 142 RBIs across 331 MLB games. 

During his first full season in 2021, he gave the Red Sox plenty to be optimistic about. Despite batting just .240, Dabec connected for a career-high 100 hits, 25 homers, and drove in 78 RBIs. His .522 expected slugging percentage, 92.4 mph average exit velocity, and 48.1 percent hard hit percentage each ranked in the top 15th percentile in the league. 

The White Sox are hoping he can tap into some of that potential because he has failed to hit the ball hard consistently since. In 2022, his .216 expected batting average ranked in the bottom eight percent of the MLB. His average plummeted to .204 in 2023, and he has hit a combined 14 home runs in the last three seasons. He was outrighted off Boston’s roster in September and elected free agency at the end of the season. 

Meidroth Sidelined After Promising Start

Meidroth was left out of the starting lineup on Sunday with a thumb injury, but was brought into the game as a defensive replacement but was unable to swing a bat due to the swelling on his right thumb. 

X-rays taken on his thumb were negative, but because this has been a nagging issue dating back to a few days before he got called up from Charlotte, the team is erring on the side of caution. 

Meidorth has gotten off to a hot start since getting called up to the big leagues, slashing .269/.387/.269 in his first 31 plate appearances. He has showcased good plate discipline, drawing five walks during that stretch.