Overshadowed by Braden Montgomery's arrival, Joe Rock joins the White Sox as Chicago continues searching for answers on the pitching staff.
Overshadowed by the promotion of top outfield prospect Braden Montgomery, the Chicago White Sox also made a roster move to switch things up with the pitching staff prior to this week's series against the Atlanta Braves.
The White Sox promoted left-handed pitcher Joe Rock from Triple-A Charlotte while sending right-hander David Sandlin back to the minor leagues after three MLB outings.
Rock was acquired by the White Sox in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays last month. Chicago sent infielder Oliver Dunn to Tampa, trading from a position of strength and infield depth to get help on the pitching side of things.
Rock was a second-round pick by the Colorado Rockies in the 2021 MLB Draft, and he made his MLB debut for the Rays on June 28, 2025. He only appeared in three games, but found some success across 7.2 MLB innings. He had a 5.40 ERA in a relief role with the Durham Bulls before being traded to the White Sox organization, and ever since, Chicago has been stretching him out as a starting pitcher in Charlotte.
In his first three outings as a member of the White Sox organization, Rock tossed 8.1 innings, allowing just one run while recording 11 strikeouts. His most recent start against his former team didn't go as well. The Bulls put up four runs in the first inning, and Rock lasted just 0.2 innings before being pulled from the game.
It's an intriguing addition to the White Sox pitching staff overall. Rock has really struggled with his control at times this year, but he has been elite in the minor leagues at generating soft contact and generating whiffs with his stuff in the strike zone.
He's a 6-foot-6, funky left-hander who has thrown a maximum of 62 pitches in a single outing this season. So while the White Sox are sending down David Sandlin, who was a member of the starting rotation, it's a bit unclear if Rock is ready for that type of workload.
If I had to guess, I'd imagine the White Sox are going to use Rock as a bulk innings guy for Sandlin's spot in the rotation, but throw an opener before him to try to get some added length at the start of the game.
There could also be another roster move coming that would add a starting pitcher, like Hagen Smith perhaps, and allow Rock to settle into more of a multi-inning relief role. That, however, feels a bit less likely given that the White Sox already have four lefties in the bullpen.
As far as Sandlin is concerned, this is a minor setback, but nothing to panic about. During his MLB debut against the Minnesota Twins, he showed all of the potential that makes him an exciting arm for the White Sox moving forward. He clearly has some things he needs to work on in the meantime, though.
Given Chicago's current situation competing for a playoff spot, they can't afford to have Sandlin cost them games while he learns to adjust at the MLB level. I still have confidence that he'll be back and will be an asset for the White Sox in the long term.
