Martin Perez's injury impacts the Chicago White Sox starting rotation in one major way

Martin Perez's stay on the injured list just got a lot longer.

The Chicago White Sox announced Perez is being transferred from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL.

While the White Sox have not announced the extent of his elbow injury, it does not look good for him to go from being put on the 15-day IL on Saturday, flying back to Chicago to get imaging done on Sunday, and then going on the 60-day IL on Monday.

This injury going from elbow inflammation to something more problematic impacts the rotation in one major way.

Losing out on getting a prospect to help with the rebuild in a potential trade before the deadline stings, but Perez's past trade market does not scream bringing back an impact bat. Although it would have been nice for him to continue to pitch well and get a better prospect back than what the Pittsburgh Pirates got at last year's trade deadline from San Diego.

However, his value was likely always going to be a higher-level scratch-off prospect. Not that there is anything wrong with that, as the Sox should be in asset collection at this point of their roster build.

Unless he was making the All-Star team, it was unlikely a team was going to give up an impact prospect.

Where Perez's injury hurts the club is that the franchise was counting on him to eat innings through the trade deadline.

It could not have come at a worse time with Sean Burke, Jonathan Cannon, and Davis Martin struggling to eat up innings.

Shane Smith's start to his MLB career has been amazing, but he has had issues getting through the order a third time.

The team's pitching depth is woefully thin with promising young hurlers Drew Thorpe, Ky Bush, and Mason Adams all out for the season after needing Tommy John surgery.

Those three were being counted on as providing the club excellent pitching depth, especially with Thorpe showing promise last season and Bush and Adams being highly-regarded prospects.

That option was lost in spring training.

That leaves the White Sox likely having to turn to Bryse Wilson, who did start for the Milwaukee Brewers in a swing role last season. However, his numbers are better out of the bullpen.

Mike Vasil, the team's other Rule 5 pick on the roster, has pitched well in long relief. He could be used as a starter, too. Although that is asking a lot from a young pitcher who has shown he can handle low-leverage situations, but failed in his first prime spot this past Saturday.

Do not expect the club to rush top pitching prospects Noah Schultz, Hagen Smith, or Grant Taylor. The front office wants to develop their arms to be able to handle a big-league starter workload. If any of them get called up early, it would be Taylor in a relief role to take advantage of his power arm.

The other options are not very appealing either. Justin Dunn may be tight with Kevin Durant, but he has a 1.45 WHIP at Triple-A Charlotte.

Charlotte's ballpark is a bandbox, so you cannot really look at the pitchers' ERA if it is a high one. You want to look at when it comes to Charlotte's pitchers is minimizing extra baserunners.

Nick Nastrini and Jairo Iriarte are ranked among the team's top 30 prospects, but their WHIP is high, too.

That is why losing Perez for five months and change really hurts this franchise, whereas not having him over the final two months after a trade was part of the plan.