One of the few upsides of playing a 162-game season on a mediocre team is that there are plenty of opportunities for rookies to learn on the job. Several young White Sox pitchers have been taking advantage of that opportunity with the hopes of developing into maintains on the pitching staff.
This includes Drew Thorpe and Jordan Leasure who were both added via trade. Leasure marked one of Rick Hahn’s final acquisitions as the GM of the White Sox last season when he was included in a package deal that sent Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly to the Dodgers. Thorpe was acquired by Hahn’s predecessor Chris Getz, who cashed in his most valuable trade asset, Dylan Cease, to add the right-hander and several other prospects to the farm system.
Unfortunately, each landed on the IL with no clear return date in sight.
Thorpe has started nine games for the White Sox after tearing through the minor leagues. In 44.1 innings of work, he owns a 3-3 record with a 5.48 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. While those numbers don’t jump off the page there have been several encouraging signs.
In Thorpe’s first four starts, he limited opponents to a .178 batting average. He also had a stretch of five consecutive quality starts from June 22 to July 21. A large reason for his success was his changeup, which turned some heads across the league.
Unfortunately for Thorpe a right forearm flexor strain landed him on the 15-day IL. The injury came at an interesting time for the 23-year-old. He was coming off back-to-back starts in which his opponents were beginning to sit on his changeup. Thorpe recorded just two outs before being lifted from the first inning of his July 26 start against the Mariners after getting tagged for eight earned runs. This was thanks in part to the Mariners’ approach against Thorpe in which they sat on his changeup and adjusted to anything else he threw. Kansas City took a similar approach when they pushed across six runs in five innings before he landed on the IL.
Baseball at the major league level is all about making adjustments. The league adjusted to Thorpe’s changeup after some early success so it was time for him to respond. Unfortunately, this learning experience was halted by the forearm strain. Instead of focusing on how to attack hitters, he is forced to focus on returning to the mound as soon as possible.
Thorpe threw from 60 feet back on August 15. Getz also said that he threw a side session on August 23. However, an exact timeline for his return is still uncertain. The goal is for Thorpe to be back on the mound by mid-September but the White Sox are not going to rush him back.
Leasure’s Rehab Taking Longer Than Expected
They are taking a similar approach with Jordan Leasure, who is reportedly growing frustrated with how long his IL stint has lasted.
Leasure made a compelling case to be the White Sox closer after Spring Training but settled into a high-leverage role in the bullpen instead. He found some early success posting a 2.52 ERA in his first 26 appearances. However, a bad outing against the Mariners where he allowed four earned runs on June 10 helped balloon up Leasure’s ERA and he has yet to recover. He was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte four days later. The White Sox recalled him on July 8, but he was immediately placed on the 15-day IL with right a shoulder impingement. In 31.1 innings he has a 6.32 ERA with 26 strikeouts and a 1.60 WHIP.
Leasure completed a plyometrics program on August 13 and then began a throwing program on August 15. On August 23, Getz told reporters that Leasure would be further evaluated after throwing a side session. He has already received several MRIs which indicate he won’t need surgery at this time. However, the organization is still taking a cautious approach.
“We’re not going to push them to a point to where we risk long-term health, there’s no need to do that at this point,” Getz told reporters on Friday. “They’re responding very well, they’ve been diligent with their rehab and our staff has done a nice job, too. We feel like they’re close to making their next step.”
It’s smart for the White Sox not to rush either pitcher. But getting each of them back on the mound again at some point this season will be beneficial. Lucas Giolito often talked about how former White Sox manager Rick Renteria allowed him to fail at the big league level. Those early growing pains helped him eventually develop into an All-Star pitcher. In a low-pressure environment, on a team that has already eclipsed 100 losses before September, this is the perfect season for Leasure, Thorpe, and all the other White Sox young talent to do the same.
