Mason Adams Has Earned an Opportunity With the White Sox

The Chicago White Sox are looking for answers in the starting rotation in 2026.

The organization's depth has been tested with rookie Noah Schultz landing on the IL and right-handed pitcher Tanner McDougal being shut down for over a month. McDougal was always the most obvious next man up for the White Sox when it came to reinforcements. But over the last month, the White Sox have had to patch together a pitching staff and a rotation capable of keeping them in the AL Central race.

David Sandlin came up for a few weeks and made three starts for the White Sox, enjoying a great debut before getting hit around in his next two outings. The White Sox have also used bullpen games and leaned on their long relievers for the last few trips through the rotation.

It now seems like Sandlin is poised to come back up on Friday and rejoin the White Sox.

Chicago is undoubtedly going to look for pitching help at the trade deadline in July, but if there's an internal option that could provide value for the White Sox, look no further than right-handed pitcher Mason Adams, who now appears ready for an MLB opportunity after missing more than a year due to injury.

Adams missed all of 2025 and the beginning of 2026 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He was on the cusp of making his MLB debut when he went down, but he remains the No. 11-ranked prospect in the White Sox organization because of his control, off-speed arsenal, and high floor.

The White Sox got Adams back on the mound in the middle of May, starting him in the Arizona Complex League before bumping him up to High-A Winston-Salem for a four-start rehab assignment.

On June 12, Adams made his first appearance for Triple-A Charlotte, and he's now looking ready for an opportunity in the White Sox starting rotation.

Over his last two starts in Charlotte, Adams has thrown 10 scoreless innings, allowing five hits, three walks, and recording 11 strikeouts. He has been even more effective than he was before suffering the injury, and in each of his last four starts, Adams has been around the 70-pitch mark.

He's reaching the point where he'll be both stretched out and productive enough to earn a spot in the rotation. The White Sox not only need those innings, but they also need to see what someone like Adams has to offer so GM Chris Getz knows what he's building around next winter.

Adams has been particularly effective since returning thanks to his sweeper. He threw 24 of them on Wednesday night and generated four called strikes and four whiffs with that pitch alone.

David Sandlin deserves his second chance with the White Sox this season, and it's still a mystery what the rotation is going to look like moving forward.

Noah Schultz will eventually return from the IL, and we could see Tanner McDougall begin a rehab assignment sometime this month. Those internal options could all play a factor for Chicago as the club looks to make a playoff push and supplement its pitching staff with young arms.

But we're reaching the point where Mason Adams is the best internal option to help this White Sox team, and it may only be a matter of time before he's rewarded with an MLB debut.