White Sox to call up one of their top pitching prospects to start Tuesday
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The Chicago White Sox are calling up one of their top pitching prospects who has been shining in the minor leagues.
Drew Thorpe, the 23-year-old right-hander, will be called up this week from Class AA Birmingham, Sox manager Pedro Grifol told reporters on Sunday.
The plan is for Thorpe to start Tuesday's game on the road against the Mariners.
Thorpe was acquired by the San Diego Padres when the Sox traded ace Dylan Cease. In the four-player trade, Thorpe was considered the headlining prospect.
As a consensus top-100 prospect, Thorpe currently ranks No. 41 overall and No. 54 overall among prospects at Baseball America and #54 at MLB Pipeline, respectively.
With the Barons, Thorpe has shined. He's collected a 1.35 ERA across 60 innings pitched.
The St. George, Utah, native starred at Desert Hills High School before becoming the ace for Cal Poly's baseball team.
He'll join a White Sox rotation that's featured Garrett Crochet, Erick Fedde and Chris Flexen. Jonathan Cannon, another 23-year-old pitcher in the Sox organization, pitched a three-inning save against the Red Sox to snap the Sox's 14-game losing streak.
Going from Class AA to the major leagues will be a massive change of pace, but this is one of the best ways the Sox can add to their rotation.
With Mike Clevinger on the injured list, the Sox need a starter as they continue to monitor Garrett Crochet's workload as he assume's the spot as the Sox's ace.
Instead of calling up a player from Class AAA, a veteran who has experience in the majors, the Sox are opting to get the No. 3 overall prospect some time in the majors. It's a move that could prove beneficial in the long run.
White Sox closely monitoring Crochet's workload during his strong start to the season
After pitching Chicago to a 7-2 victory over Boston on Friday night, Crochet is up to a career-high 14 starts and 75 2/3 innings. The 6-foot-6 left-hander, who turns 25 on June 21, also has been the best pitcher for the majors' worst team.