On the heels of back to back walk-off losses against the crosstown rival Cubs, the White Sox were in desperate need of a boost. The injury to right-hander Davis Martin and the struggles of Noah Schultz have left the White Sox rotation in a precarious position, one that manager Will Venable acknowledged was difficult for the team’s bullpen.
“It’s all hands on deck right now,” Venable said. “We’re thin back there right now”
With potential option Drew Thorpe still rehabbing from his Tommy John surgery and not quite ready to return to the big leagues, the White Sox were forced to turn to crafty veteran Jose Urquidy to not only provide innings, but get the team back on track. Urquidy responded by turning back the clock and stepping up in a big way, giving the White Sox six shutout innings, allowing just two hits and striking out eight. The White Sox went on to win 3-0, salvaging the series and only needing to use two relief pitchers.
José Urquidy, K'ing the Side in the 5th pic.twitter.com/4kHoo6rKar
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 19, 2026
Jose Urquidy could be a huge boost to the White Sox pitching staff down the stretch
When the White Sox added Urquidy in a trade with the Pirates back in July, it was hard to imagine him taking on a big role for a team competing for a playoff spot. But Urquidy has been pushed into the spotlight out of necessity, and he stepped up on Wednesday. Urquidy is no stranger to success in big games, but it’s been a few years since he was able to do it. The 31-year-old has pitched in the Postseason in five separate years during his career, posting a career 4.05 ERA in October over 46.1 innings. His last postseason appearance was in 2023 with the Astros, and his last two seasons were derailed by injuries. Urquidy struggled in an early-season bullpen stint with the Pirates, but posted strong numbers in Triple-A, and the White Sox clearly saw something they liked enough to make a deal to acquire him.
I’m not expecting Jose Urquidy to dominate down the stretch in the way he did on Wednesday, but if he can manage to be a serviceable starting pitcher (even with an opener) for the rest of the season, his contributions to the team will be incredibly valuable. The White Sox have a fairly strong top three in Sean Burke, Anthony Kay, and Luis Castillo, but could use some stability in the back end of their rotation. In Jose Urquidy, the White Sox have a veteran presence who has pitched in big games before and should still have something left in the tank at 31. The key will be pounding the strike zone like he did on Wednesday.
As the White Sox continue along a stretch of 16 straight games without a day off and the innings continue to rack up for the pitching staff, finding a reliable arm or two to get them through the end of the season will be crucial. Jose Urquidy took a big step toward filling those shoes by unlocking his vintage form this week.
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