The White Sox have once again optioned Tyler Gilbert to Triple-A Charlotte, but with September roster decisions looming, this should be the last time Chicago needs to make the move.
Prior to this week's series against the Houston Astros, the Chicago White Sox have returned to a familiar look with their pitching staff.
Left-handed pitcher Tyler Schweitzer has returned from the paternity list, while Tyler Gilbert has once again been optioned to Triple-A Charlotte.
The White Sox brought up Gilbert on a temporary basis as part of the constant shuffling of arms that will be necessary throughout the home stretch of the 2026 season. This marks the fourth time he's been optioned back to the minor leagues this season, and each of his stints at the big league level have been underwhelming.
Gilbert has made five appearances for the White Sox in 2026 and has allowed at least one run in four of them. He pitched 2.1 innings against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday, allowing five hits and one earned run. Through six innings with the White Sox this season, his ERA now sits at 12.00.
The primary purpose of his temporary call-up was to provide a multi-inning relief appearance, which allowed the White Sox to rest some of their high-leverage relievers ahead of a critical series against the Houston Astros. Unfortunately, it also came in a game where the White Sox fell behind early and never generated enough momentum offensively to stage a comeback.
Schweitzer is a pretty clear upgrade over Gilbert. He has a 3.64 ERA over 29.2 innings this season and is more stretched out, capable of providing three or four innings in a single outing. That's simply a better use of the left-handed relief spot.
And honestly, Chris Murphy would be too. He's currently on the IL and rehabbing after posting a 4.20 ERA over 30 innings pitched in 2026.
It may be in Chicago's best interest to move on from Gilbert altogether. While the White Sox have optioned him to Triple-A for now, designating Gilbert for assignment might become necessary in the coming days as the calendar flips to September and the team prepares to make its September call-ups.
Someone like Drew Thorpe, for example, is an intuitive option to join the White Sox on the MLB roster. But because Thorpe is coming off the 60-day IL, a spot on the 40-man roster would need to be created before he can be activated.
Gilbert is one player currently occupying a 40-man roster spot whom I'm confident the White Sox have little use for moving forward.
This is a minor roster move, but possibly one that signals more significant measures being taken in the near future. And the constant shuffling of pitchers should be par for the course for the White Sox with 26 regular season games remaining.
