The White Sox announced that starter Mike Clevinger will undergo disc replacement surgery on Aug. 1 and will miss the remainder of the season.
The Sox signed the veteran pitcher to a one-year, $3 million contract. The signing didn't go how the Sox could have imagined. After taking over a month to ramp up in the minors, Clevinger made just four starts with the Sox, recording a 6.75 ERA.
As general manager Chris Getz weighs his options and field offers for starters Garrett Crochet and Erick Fedde, there could be innings available in the starting rotation. Innings, the Sox have to find a way to fill.
Clevinger got off to a slow start, but he's still a veteran with major-league experience. Over his eight-year career, Clevinger has a 3.51 ERA in 804 innings. Without him, the Sox might have to rely on pitchers from the minors, which could prove disastrous.
The Sox season was already a failure, but the team doesn't want to surpass the 1962 Mets for the most losses in major league history.
'Felt like a debut all over again'
White Sox pitcher Davis Martin was in Nashville with Triple-A Charlotte when he received the news from Knights manager Justin Jirschele that he would be returning to the majors.
Martin said the moment "felt like a debut all over again." Martin, 27, hasn't pitched since 2022 as he recovered from Tommy John surgery.
In his absence from baseball, Martin gained a greater appreciation for the game, but he said he still has the same mentality on the mound.
"Once I’m on the field, I’m the same guy," Martin said. "Once you cross the lines, the competitor mindset, it doesn’t go away. Whatever pitches may be different, how we set things up may be different, but that competitive nature is still there and wanting to win and beat the guy in front of me is still there."
The team hasn't ruled out Martin starting again.
"There’s a good possibility," manager Pedro Grifol said. "You never know what’s going to happen here at the deadline. You never know what’s going to happen moving forward. We got Crochet with some workload management as well. We have a couple of young guys with workload management possibilities as well.
"I would almost be certain that he’s going to get a start here and there somewhere."
'He's leaps and bounds ahead of me'
Martin had the opportunity to play with Sox top prospect Colson Montgomery.
"To see the work ethic he puts in at 21, 22, compared to how I was, I think he’s leaps and bounds ahead of me," Martin said. "He’s continued to work hard, going about his day-to-day business like he should as a professional."
Montgomery is currently struggling at Triple-A Charlotte, slashing .212/.329/.379
Injury updates
• Third baseman Yoan Moncada has been out since April 9 after straining his left adductor on a ground ball. His recovery has been slowed after he dealt with some soreness.
"He’s going to see the doctor in Arizona just to make sure everything’s clear and then ramp it back up again," Grifol said. "But he’s feeling pretty good."
• Pitcher Michael Soroka (right shoulder strain) will play catch on Monday or Tuesday.
