White Sox Turn to David Sandlin to Save Taxed Bullpen

A 12-11 loss in 13 innings was a devastating outcome for the Chicago White Sox in their series finale at Fenway Park on Thursday night, not to mention the toll it clearly took on the players.

Catcher Joey Bart, who was recently acquired at the trade deadline, will be sidelined for over a month with a broken hand after being hit by a pitch.

Chicago's bullpen was also completely taxed in a game in which the team used eight different pitchers.

The White Sox got very little sleep before taking an overnight flight home to Chicago. Now, with a drained bullpen, they will have to square off against the Cleveland Guardians in a crucial three-game AL Central series.

Naturally, the White Sox need innings. And they made a roster move to add some length to the pitching staff. Left-handed pitcher Chris Murphy was placed on the 15-day IL by the White Sox on Friday morning with a left flexor strain, which can likely be attributed to a phantom IL stint as Chicago maneuvers around roster rules.

Right-handed pitcher David Sandlin was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte and will likely pitch multiple innings out of the bullpen on Friday night, piggybacking behind Noah Schultz.

In four starts with the White Sox in 2026, Sandlin has been fairly hot and cold. His MLB debut on May 27 included 18 consecutive batters retired and six innings of one-run baseball. He earned the win over the Minnesota Twins. Then, in a spot start on June 26, Sandlin once again pitched six innings and allowed just one run, earning another win, this time over the Kansas City Royals.

Both of those games were played at Rate Field. But he struggled in between, getting knocked around by the Twins and Phillies on the road.

Even with a 6.05 ERA in the big leagues this year, Sandlin's 2.40 ERA over 10 starts in Charlotte is a positive sign that he can contribute to the White Sox down the stretch in 2026. We'll get to see more of what he brings to the table, albeit in a unique role, during Friday night's important game.

Don't be surprised if Sandlin isn't with the White Sox for long. The club could use him for multiple innings on Friday, then option him back to the minor leagues and bring up someone from the 40-man roster, such as Tanner McDougal, to make his MLB debut.

With Bart landing on the IL, the White Sox also brought Edgar Quero back up. He's in the lineup for the White Sox on Friday night after Drew Romo came off the bench and handled the catching duties deep into extra innings on Thursday.