Rookie right-hander Drew Thorpe has thrown his last for the White Sox this season. According to MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, Thorpe will undergo season-ending surgery to remove a bone spur in his right elbow. He is expected to be ready to return by the start of Spring Training.
Thorpe made nine starts for the White Sox after being acquired in Spring Training as part of a trade package that sent Dylan Cease to the Padres. In 44.1 innings he posted a 5.48 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. His 13.2 percent strikeout rate is one of the worst in the MLB while his 11.1 percent walk rate is above the league average. Thorpe has also struggled to produce ground balls that hurt him in hitter-friendly parks like Guaranteed Rate Field.
However, Thorpe has showcased a nasty changeup with an Offspeed Run-Value of 6, according to Baseball Savant, which grades as one of the most effective pitches in the MLB. Opposing hitters are batting just .164, accounting for 37.9 percent of his swings and misses, which is the most of any pitch in his arsenal. It was one of the reasons the 23-year-old logged two quality starts and two wins in his first four starts.
The surgery will take place on September 7 at Golden State Orthopedics in San Francisco under Dr. Kenneth Akizuki. Akizuki specializes in Tommy John Surgery and baseball injuries. He is currently the team doctor for the San Franciso Giants as well as several other Bay area teams and is the former President of the MLB Team Physicians Association.
