One of the White Sox’ most valuable pitchers, RHP Mike Vasil, left his spring training start with elbow soreness, raising concerns about a potential long-term injury.
There were few players on the 2025 Chicago White Sox more valuable to the team’s success than right-handed pitcher Mike Vasil.
After being claimed off waivers just days before Opening Day, Vasil threw 101 innings primarily out of the White Sox bullpen in 2025 and posted a 2.50 ERA. His 2.9 bWAR was the third-most on the team, and according to data from FanGraphs, Vasil led the White Sox in Win Probability Added at 2.02.
It was an undoubtedly successful rookie season, and heading into 2026, the White Sox were flirting with the idea of moving Vasil from his valuable swingman role in the bullpen to a full-time starting pitcher.
He was brought to spring training as one of more than 10 options to crack Chicago’s rotation.
And while it still seemed difficult for Vasil—or anyone else, for that matter—to break into the on-paper starting five, he did himself plenty of favors this spring with 11 innings pitched, nine strikeouts, and a 1.64 ERA.
But now it appears the White Sox’s risk could cost them dearly. As they attempted to stretch Vasil out during his spring training start on Saturday, he was pulled from the game in the fourth inning, leaving with trainers and later being diagnosed with “right elbow soreness.”
“Something just didn't feel right, and any time with an elbow, you just want to be precautionary, especially this time of year,” Vasil said to the media on Sunday. “I didn’t feel like my usual self.”
The White Sox have not learned any further details at this time but plan to review MRIs and conduct additional evaluations in the coming days.
Reports of elbow pain immediately bring every White Sox fan to the same place: fear of Tommy John surgery.
That’s not overly negative or unfair. It’s simply acknowledging the reality when a young pitcher being stretched out leaves a spring training game with elbow issues. The White Sox saw this very thing happen during last year’s spring training with Mason Adams, Prelander Berroa, and others.
Now it appears one of the most valuable players on the White Sox roster could miss significant time. If Vasil does end up requiring Tommy John surgery, it would sideline him for the entire season and then some.
Vasil’s injury comes directly on the heels of Kyle Teel suffering a Grade 2 hamstring strain during the World Baseball Classic last week. That injury will put Teel out for 4-6 weeks and force him to begin the regular season on the injured list. Outfielder Brooks Baldwin is also dealing with arm issues and could very well begin the season on the injured list as well.
There’s only a little more than a week remaining in Cactus League play and spring training, but the White Sox are already beginning to see injuries pile up—cutting into both their depth and their upside heading into the season.
Injuries are inevitable. There aren’t many teams, if any, entering the regular season with a clean bill of health. But it’s exponentially more frustrating when it’s the younger, most valuable players on the team going down, and possibly for an extended period of time.
The White Sox may be able to make do with Grant Taylor and Sean Newcomb serving multi-inning roles out of the bullpen, picking up the long-relief outings Vasil was accustomed to handling. But that doesn’t make it any less frustrating for White Sox fans to see Vasil go down this close to the start of the regular season.