Drew Thorpe allowed one hit and struck out four over five scoreless innings Tuesday against Triple-A Buffalo.
The right-hander, on an injury rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte, is one of the potential options for the Chicago White Sox if the team dips into the minor leagues for pitching help down the stretch.
“I very much think that there’s a number of guys down there that are going to be helpful for us at some point here,” manager Will Venable said Tuesday. “We’re doing everything we can to make sure that depth’s in a good spot and when there is a need here that we’re able to tap into it. That’s a huge part.
“A very important piece of this, getting to the end here, is having those guys available and ready to contribute.”
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Noah Schultz and David Sandlin, who made starts for the Sox earlier this season, might also be under consideration.
Director of player development Paul Janish provided updates on some of the pitchers in the minors before Thursday’s series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Rate Field.
Thorpe has made nine starts this year while working his way back following Tommy John surgery that cost him last season. The right-hander has a 2.70 ERA along with 35 strikeouts and nine walks in 36 2/3 innings.
Thorpe made one start for the Arizona Complex League Sox, one start at High A Winston-Salem, two starts at Double-A Birmingham and five for Charlotte.
He has a 2.55 ERA with the Knights.
“The biggest thing with Drew, coming off the injury, is just the fact that he’s consistently throwing, recovering, going back out there and doing it again,” Janish said. “He has pitched well his last few times out. For all intents and purposes, he’s in a really good spot.”
Janish said from a health and physical standpoint, Thorpe has progressed to where he needs to be.
White Sox starter Drew Thorpe delivers against the Tigers on June 22, 2024, at Comerica Park in Detroit. (Duane Burleson/Getty)
“At this point, it’s going to be a little bit more based on major-league need and whatnot,” Janish said. “He’s had good outings, he’s recovered, for all intents and purposes, well. But if we’re doing our diligence, we need to exercise caution too. Because at the end of the day, he’s coming back from a significant surgery.
“He had the goofy appendix thing early in the year that put a big speed bump in the whole deal. But everything we’ve asked him to do up to this point, he’s done and responded well. Hopefully that will continue to be the case.”
Schultz, a first-round pick in 2022, has a 6.06 ERA in 15 appearances (14 starts) with the Sox after being called up from Charlotte on April 14.
The Sox optioned the left-hander back to Charlotte on Aug. 8. In three August starts with the Knights, Schultz allowed three runs in 13 innings. In two September starts, he has a 1.04 ERA.
White Sox pitcher David Sandlin throws to first base against the Royals on June 26, 2026, at Rate Field. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Sandlin has a 6.93 ERA in five outings (three starts) with the Sox this season. He didn’t allow a run in two of his three August starts for Charlotte after also being optioned to the club Aug. 8. Sandlin allowed one earned run over 5 2/3 innings in his most recent start Sept. 4 against Gwinnett, striking out 11.
“Sandlin’s been locked in,” Janish said. “The integrity of the stuff has been really good. Feel comfortable saying he’s probably in as confident of a place that he’s been in a little while.
“Noah, the same. He gets called up earlier this year for the first time. Obviously he pitched well and struggled at times. Went back down to Charlotte. He, for all intents and purposes, has been back in the zone.
“This is just part of his transition to the big leagues. Knowing Noah the way that we do, mentally and physically, he’s going to be in as good a spot to come contribute if and when the opportunity presents.”
Janish said the macro view for the pitchers in Charlotte is “it’s all hands on deck from here on out, right?”
“Depending on what happens on a given day at the major-league level, any of those guys, especially the 40-man-roster guys, they need to have their mind right to mentally be able to come here and help this team win a game if the opportunity presents itself,” Janish said.
That could be in as a starter or in a bulk role.
“When you think about a Noah Schultz or a David Sandlin, they’re obviously starting in Charlotte,” Janish said. “But if the opportunity presents itself and they come here, it’s very reasonable as we’ve seen that they would pitch in a bulk role, potentially start as well. But the bulk option is definitely something that they’re aware of and they’re ready for.
“Highlighting how the major-league team has used the staff all year long, I don’t think any of those guys are going to be caught off guard by that.”