With Shane Smith sent to Triple-A, the White Sox are turning to pitching prospect Duncan Davitt to provide innings and stabilize a taxed pitching staff.
The Chicago White Sox are making yet another roster move to shuffle their pitching staff—this time in an effort to replace Shane Smith in the starting rotation.
Smith was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday after struggling with his control to begin the 2026 regular season. In just 8.1 innings pitched—an average of less than three innings per start—Smith has allowed 12 hits, 10 earned runs, and issued nine walks. The short outings have taken a real toll on the White Sox bullpen.
On Wednesday, the White Sox selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Tyler Schweitzer from Charlotte. Schweitzer made his MLB debut that afternoon against the Orioles, tossing 1.1 innings with one strikeout and one run allowed. But it now appears his time in the big leagues will be short-lived, at least for now.
According to a report from Future Sox, the White Sox are sending Schweitzer back to the minor leagues on Thursday and calling up right-handed pitching prospect Duncan Davitt from Charlotte.
Davitt was acquired by the White Sox at the 2025 trade deadline from the Tampa Bay Rays as part of the Adrian Houser deal, alongside Curtis Mead and fellow minor league right-hander Ben Peoples.
A former 18th-round pick, Davitt has been well developed by the Rays and has put up solid numbers at almost every stop throughout his minor league career. While he’s run into some trouble at the Triple-A level, the White Sox were clearly impressed enough with his potential to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft by adding him to the 40-man roster this past offseason.
The real intrigue with Davitt lies in his breaking stuff. He features a 55-grade curveball and a 55-grade slider, both sitting in the low 80s with tight spin—easily his best weapons on the mound. Davitt is currently ranked as the No. 30 prospect in the White Sox organization, according to MLB Pipeline.
Between Double-A and Triple-A across two organizations, Davitt went 7-8 with a 4.38 ERA over 152 innings pitched last season. His first start of 2026 was a strong one—seven strikeouts in four innings with just two runs allowed—but he was hit around in his most recent outing, giving up five runs in four innings at Triple-A.
Davitt did four innings without allowing an earned run in MLB Spring Training this year.
For the White Sox, this move is largely about innings. By rule, Shane Smith must remain in the minor leagues for at least 15 days, and the team can’t afford to rely on bullpen days every time his spot in the rotation comes up. Mike Vasil was their best long relief option, and he’s now out for the season. The bullpen is already stretched thin.
Turning to Duncan Davitt gives the White Sox a chance to tap into some untapped potential at the MLB level. And in a worst-case scenario, he’s still a pitcher capable of getting deep into a game and eating innings for a staff that desperately needs it.
With any luck, the White Sox will get the best version of Davitt—and he may not be alone for long. Ben Peoples could find his way to the big leagues soon as well, which would make the Adrian Houser trade look like more of a win than most White Sox fans initially thought. Curtis Mead may not be the only piece from that deal capable of making an MLB impact in 2026.