The Chicago White Sox are promoting hard-throwing pitching prospect David Sandlin to make his MLB debut as the team looks for answers amid ongoing struggles in the starting rotation.
If there's one reason for Chicago White Sox fans to be concerned about the team's longevity during the 2026 season, it's the starting rotation, a group that got off to a surprisingly hot start but has been scuffling over the last few weeks.
The White Sox are 16-5 in games started by Davis Martin and Anthony Kay this season. They are 10-21 when one of the other starting pitchers takes the mound.
With that in mind, the White Sox have called upon reinforcements from the minor leagues, promoting pitching prospect David Sandlin to make his MLB debut.
Sandlin was acquired in an offseason trade with the Boston Red Sox alongside Jordan Hicks.
The White Sox took on Hicks' contract to upgrade their pitching prospect return from right-hander Gage Ziehl to Sandlin, a 25-year-old with electric stuff who has been knocking on the door of the major leagues.
Sandlin was on a solid trajectory in the Red Sox organization last season, but after getting promoted to Triple-A, Boston tried converting him into a relief role in hopes of getting some MLB reinforcements out of the bullpen. Sandlin didn't adjust well and got knocked around in Triple-A before being moved during the offseason.
He currently ranks as the No. 18 prospect in Chicago's farm system and features a fastball that touches triple digits, along with a track record that shows how effective he can be when he's consistently in the strike zone.
There was an outside chance for Sandlin to crack the White Sox starting rotation during spring training, but an injury prevented him from taking the mound in a single Cactus League game. The White Sox played it safe, shut him down for the remainder of the preseason, and placed him on the injured list. At the beginning of the year, Sandlin had a brief stint in Winston-Salem while rehabbing before rejoining the Charlotte Knights and getting stretched back out.
He has totaled 16.1 minor league innings this season with a 0.55 ERA and 26 strikeouts.
Sandlin has not gone more than four innings yet in the minor leagues, but he was stretched out to 71 pitches in his most recent outing on May 20. The White Sox clearly feel he's ready to take on the workload that comes with being a big league starter.
According to a report by James Fegan of Sox Machine, Sandlin is “likely to start,” meaning he'll be displacing someone from the current White Sox rotation.
If he ends up being in over his head, it could be a temporary stint for Sandlin in the big leagues. But the White Sox are choosing to get proactive with a glaring pitching problem by bringing in a player with upside who could energize this pitching staff.
The White Sox just began an important 10-game stretch against the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers without an off day. Sandlin should be well-rested and ready to go whenever the White Sox decide to insert him into the rotation to provide necessary rest for another starter.
