White Sox’ Drew Thorpe will have season-ending elbow surgery
Right-hander Drew Thorpe, who might be part of the White Sox’ rotation of the future, is done for the present.
The Sox announced that Thorpe will have season-ending elbow surgery Saturday.
Thorpe, 23, said after the Sox’ 2-0 loss to the Mets on Sunday that the operation in San Francisco will shave down a bone spur in the elbow.
“When I first got the imaging done, it showed up in there,” Thorpe said. “Other than that, pretty good news. The [ulnar collateral ligament] looks really clean; the flexor stuff went away. So that was kind of the underlying cause.”
Thorpe ends his first major-league season with a 3-3 record and 5.48 ERA in nine starts and 44⅓ innings.
The numbers look worse because of bad outings in his last two starts in which he allowed 14 earned runs in 5⅔ innings. Before that, he had five consecutive quality starts with a 2.08 ERA.
“I learned a lot, just more about myself as a pitcher and being able to succeed in this league,” Thorpe said. “And just carry that on next year.”
Thorpe said he expects to be shut down from throwing for eight weeks after the surgery.
“That should be about right when I’m ramping up for spring training,” he said. “So I should have a normal offseason [and] get ready for next year.”
Two for the show
As expected, the Sox added outfielder Zach DeLoach from Triple-A Charlotte and right-hander Jairo Iriarte from Double-A Birmingham as the two permitted September call-ups.
It’s the third stint with the Sox this season for DeLoach, 26, who made his major-league debut May 22. He pinch-hit Sunday and grounded out.
“Since spring training, I’ve gotten a decent look at him,” interim manager Grady Sizemore said. “I’m surprised — he moves a lot better than I thought he would in the outfield. . . . I knew coming in that he was a good hitter and had a good approach.”
Iriarte, 22, was 5-7 with a 3.71 ERA in 23 games (22 starts) at Birmingham. He struck out 122 in 126 innings.
Sizemore said Iriarte is expected to be used in one-inning relief stints with rest days in between.
“I’ve been starting games the whole season, but, first and foremost, I’m a pitcher,” Iriarte said. “I can pitch in any situation. I’m here to compete and do my best.”
Waive goodbye?
Sizemore said he doesn’t have conversations with players who are put on waivers.
“No, that’s just part of baseball,” he said. “I don’t think guys have to be sat down and talked to about it. Sometimes they get claimed; sometimes they don’t. That’s just the business side of things.
“Everyone in there is a professional. They don’t need me telling them about waivers and this and that. It’s just, let’s go show up, let’s go play. They know where to be and what to do.”
More injury updates
Sizemore said third baseman Yoan Moncada (strained left adductor), out since April 9, could rejoin the team on the upcoming trip to Baltimore and Boston.
“But I think we have to be kind of mindful, too,” Sizemore said. “He hasn’t played in a long time, and he’s probably got a little bit of endurance to build up. So we’ll see.”
Before Sunday, Moncada was 3-for-10 with no home runs and two RBI in four rehab games at Charlotte.
Infielder Brooks Baldwin (right hand) last played Aug. 27 and likely will be out till at least Tuesday, Sizemore said.