Chicago recalled Tyler Davis from Triple-A Charlotte after placing Trevor Richards on the bereavement/family emergency list ahead of Thursday’s series finale.
Prior to the series finale against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday, the Chicago White Sox made a minor roster move in the bullpen.
Right-handed pitcher Trevor Richards was placed on the bereavement/family emergency list, while the White Sox recalled Tyler Davis from Triple-A Charlotte.
Davis is an easy replacement for Richards as a right-hander who is already on the 40-man roster. He pitched in 22 games for the White Sox earlier this season and posted a 4.63 ERA. Davis has made four appearances in Triple-A since being sent back down, and three of those four outings have been scoreless.
Richards has pitched in each of the first two games against the Red Sox, throwing 2.1 scoreless innings, so it's unlikely he would have been available for the White Sox over the next day or two anyway. Getting a fresh arm on the team is a worthwhile move, even if it comes in an unconventional way, with Richards dealing with some off-the-field matters that need his attention.
Richards has quietly become a productive pitcher for the White Sox recently. Since May 27, he has pitched 23.1 innings for Chicago with just three earned runs allowed and a 1.16 ERA. His WHIP is down to 0.77 over that stretch, which now spans nearly a month and a half.
He's turned into a really valuable piece for the White Sox after being acquired from the Phillies in a midseason deal. Chicago found value out of nowhere, and yet somehow this bullpen still isn't good enough. They still lack high-leverage arms. They probably need a full-time closer. And too often, they find themselves blowing leads or letting close games get away from them because of the bullpen.
There are plenty of areas the White Sox need to upgrade, but for now, the focus also needs to be on winning as many games as possible. Chicago has been scuffling to start this series with the Red Sox, allowing the Guardians to remain just 1.0 game back in the AL Central and the Minnesota Twins to close within 2.0 games after back-to-back losses.
The White Sox need to finish the first half strong and maintain some momentum, and that starts with a win on Thursday afternoon.
Perhaps we'll see Tyler Davis in the ballgame now that he has rejoined the team, but the White Sox need all hands on deck. Hopefully, getting Munetaka Murakami back from a rehab assignment on Friday against the Athletics will provide another jolt.
