There is a former Chicago White Sox prospect and MLB reliever who has resurfaced in the big leagues after being away from the game for years with injuries.
Codi Heuer, who pitched out of the bullpen for the White Sox in 2020 and 2021, is back in the Major Leagues with the Texas Rangers.
Codi Heuer was a promising young reliever for the Sox
There was a time during the first iteration of the White Sox rebuild that Heuer looked like a future MLB closer.
He was a 23-year-old arm with an average fastball at 97.6 mph in 2020. In the same season, he was in the 86th percentile across baseball in whiff percentage. The swing-and-miss stuff profiled Heuer to have a ton of big league success as a high-leverage reliever.
The Sox traded Heuer to the Cubs along with Nick Madrigal in 2021 in a deal that brought in Craig Kimbrel for a playoff push. Heuer was really good for the Cubs after the trade, but his 25 appearances for the Cubs that year were the last time he was on a big league mound.
Heuer has battled serious injuries
Heuer had Tommy John surgery that offseason, forcing him to miss all of 2022. He made a brief rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa in May of 2023, but that ended when he sailed a pitch and doubled over the mound with another serious arm injury.
Not good re: Codi Heuer. pic.twitter.com/LUe5uzcQ42
— Brad (@ballskwok) June 21, 2023
As it turned out, Heuer fractured his elbow. Just as he was getting set to return, Heuer underwent his second consecutive season-ending surgery.
Heuer then elected free agency and signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers ahead of the 2024 season, but he would not make it back and return from injury in 2024.
The Rangers still brought Heuer back on a minor league deal in 2025 and invited him to Spring Training.
Overcoming adversity in 2025
So far in 2025, Heuer has made 19 appearances in Triple-A with a 3.27 ERA. His contract was selected by the Rangers on Tuesday and he returned to a big league mound for the first time since September 29, 2021. That’s a 1,342 day hiatus.
Rangers transactions for Sunday:
— Texas Rangers PR (@TXRangersPR) June 1, 2025
-RHP Nathan Eovaldi placed on 15-day Injured List, retroactive to 5/29.
-RHP Codi Heuer (#54, pronounced ‘KOH-dee HOY-er’) contract selected from Round Rock (AAA).
-C Tucker Barnhart designated for assignment.
What an incredible story of a guy who never gave up despite dealing with constant pain and adversity.
Heuer is closing in on his 29th birthday, but it’s not too late for him to still have the strong Major League career he always dreamed of.
Just getting back on an MLB mound for one game is an impressive feat. Everything else is house money. Rooting for Heuer in his return is something that should unite White Sox and Cubs fans.