The White Sox are four wins or Houston losses away from clinching their first Postseason berth in five years. A season that began with a feeling of cautious optimism has gone even better than most White Sox fans expected, and a wide open American League has led to this opportunity. With just a week until the Postseason begins, it’s not too early to begin looking at the potential roster for the first round. MLB rosters are currently at 28 players for September, but they’ll need to cut back down to 26 for the playoffs. Here are some players that have likely played themselves off the playoff roster for the White Sox.
RHP Luis Castillo
The White Sox added the 33-year-old Castillo at the trade deadline in hopes he’d provide them with a reliable veteran starter who could eat innings and bring playoff experience to a young group. Castillo’s stint with the White Sox has been a complete disaster, however, and the right-hander now finds himself on the outside looking in of the team’s rotation. In 30 innings since joining the White Sox, Castillo has posted a 7.50 ERA and allowed 41 hits and 11 walks. Most teams roll with a four-man rotation for the Postseason, and a Wild Card series would only require three, so Castillo’s only shot at contributing in a Wild Card series would be in the bullpen. With Sean Newcomb, Grant Taylor, Hagen Smith, Trevor Richards, Noah Schultz, and Erick Fedde all having appeared in multi-inning scenarios in the bullpen this year, the team simply has more reliable options and doesn’t need to risk it with Castillo. He was solid in his first outing since moving to the bullpen on Sunday night, so perhaps a couple other solid relief appearances this week can change things, but for now, I just don’t see a spot for the veteran on the roster.
RHP David Sandlin
It’s been a bit of a roller coaster for Sandlin this season, who has made seven bulk appearances for the White Sox and seen mixed results. He was promoted back to the big leagues to replace Luis Castillo in the rotation and posted a stellar outing against the Cardinals last week. In his second start against the Tigers, his command faltered and he was tagged for five earned runs in just four innings. At his best Sandlin has shown he can retire big league hitters and work deep into games, but when he’s not at his best, he gives up a ton of hard contact. With Sean Burke, Davis Martin, Anthony Kay, and Erick Fedde likely lining up as the team’s Postseason starters, Sandlin could make the roster as a multi-inning reliever. It’s not a role he’s ever really had before, however, and I don’t feel like the White Sox will force the issue. Sandlin could easily find himself left off the roster when push comes to shove.
David Sandlin has retired 18 straight batters since giving up a leadoff homer in his big league debut! pic.twitter.com/PRBMPpJf2I
— MLB (@MLB) May 28, 2026
IF/OF Luisangel Acuna
The White Sox hoped Luisangel Acuna would be their answer in center field after acquiring him in a January trade, but that has not been the case in 2026. He began the season as a regular in the team’s lineup but has been relegated to a bench role, primarily starting occasionally against lefties, at this point in the season. Acuna’s best attributes continue to be his speed and defense, but he hasn’t done much to move the needle on offense this season. It’s pretty common for playoff teams to include a pinch runner/defensive replacement on their roster to help provide a spark and emphasize run prevention late in games. But the White Sox have two such players on their roster between Luisangel Acuna and Brenton Doyle, and Doyle has simply provided more than Acuna offensively over the past few weeks. In the event of an injury to an infielder, the team could simply move Sam Antonacci in and start Randal Grichuk or Tommy Pham in the outfield, both of whom provide offense off the bench. Acuna has been on the roster the entire season, so leaving him off now might be a tough decision, but it’s one the White Sox need to make.
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