Nine different pitchers have already started a game for the 2024 White Sox, and it is only mid-May. The instability does not stop there, as the team has recently announced even more changes to their starting rotation. Brad Keller will slot into Michael Soroka’s rotation spot, and Soroka go to the bullpen. Swapping their roles makes sense for the time being, given Soroka’s struggles. However, there is a pitcher who deserves another opportunity in the big league starting rotation who has not gotten one yet: Nick Nastrini.
Nastrini made all of two MLB starts in April before the White Sox inexplicably sent him back down to AAA. His first start was good. He pitched five innings against the Royals, allowing just two runs while striking out five. His second start did not go as well. He allowed six runs in only three innings in Philadelphia against the Phillies. His first two starts were the definition of a mixed bag.
However, the Phillies have a great lineup, and Philadelphia is a challenging place to pitch. It is unfair to hold that game against him too much, especially given that it was only his second career MLB start. Sending him back down after one poor start was very overreactionary. Nastrini deserved a much longer leash than that in his initial MLB stint.
Thankfully, Nastrini took the demotion in stride and has not let it kill his confidence. He has been great in AAA recently. In his last two starts, Nastrini has allowed just two runs in 12.2 innings while striking out 12. For the season in AAA, he has 31 strikeouts in 23.1 innings. He has an inflated ERA on the season because of one bad outing, but his stuff is clearly too good for AAA. He needs more of a challenge to help his development. He is not getting that in Charlotte.
Erick Fedde, Mike Clevinger, and the aforementioned Flexen and Keller are all potential trade chips and could traded before the July 30th deadline. Nastrini will likely be back in Chicago by then at the very latest. The White Sox will need guys to cover innings once they trade one or multiple members of their current rotation, and Nastrini is a logical replacement in that situation. But he should get another chance at the bigs before then. He has earned it.
The main argument against bringing up Nastrini this soon is that the rotation is full and no one is at risk of losing their spot. But Garrett Crochet’s innings and workload will need to be monitored the rest of the way, as will Nastrini’s. Given these limitations, there is logic in bringing up Nastrini now.
Nastrini is 24 years old and will hopefully be part of the White Sox rotation long-term. It is time to see what he can do with an extended look in Chicago. And this is the perfect time for him to get his feet wet. The White Sox are not winning anything this season. There is zero pressure. If he struggles initially, so be it. The goal should be to get Nastrini in the position to be in the MLB starting rotation from day one next season, but he has to get MLB experience this season for that to become feasible. He needs to be freed from the shackles of AAA.
