White Sox biggest rotation addition could come from healthy return of former All-Star

The MLB season is long and tedious for all 30 teams. Getting through 162 games healthy is an extremely difficult task for just about any player, and every team goes through stretches where they’re particularly ravaged by injuries. For the White Sox, it’s felt like their pitching depth has taken a significant dive over the past few months. The team has needed to scramble to even field a five-man rotation with Noah Schultz, Hagen Smith, Shane Smith, and Tanner McDougal all dealing with various injuries. They’ve received some positive news on those injury fronts over the past few days, and I believe the return of Shane Smith could be particularly impactful in the team’s second half push. 

It feels like a very long time ago that Shane Smith started the White Sox season opener against Milwaukee. It didn’t go well for Smith, who didn’t make it out of the second inning and struggled with his command. Things went from bad to worse in Smith’s second outing, as the right-hander allowed eight runs over three innings. Though his third outing was scoreless, he allowed five walks in less than four innings, and the White Sox made the decision to send him to Charlotte to work out his command struggles. Smith made just four outings in Charlotte, with mixed results, before being shut down with a shoulder strain. After missing two months, Smith returned to action this week. 

In his first outing since April 30th, Smith fired two scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts for High-A Winston-Salem. More importantly, he didn’t walk any of the seven hitters he faced. Smith threw 35 pitches and should slowly build his pitch count from there. I’d expect to see at least one more outing in High-A before he moves back to Charlotte to continue rehab. From there, the White Sox will have a decision to make. 

A healthy Shane Smith could be a huge boost to the White Sox rotation

There’s no question that Smith was struggling to begin the season. But were his control issues related to a lingering shoulder issue? I think it’s possible. As he rehabs from his injury, his command will be worth watching. If Smith proves that he’s able to throw strikes consistently, he could provide a big boost to the White Sox rotation. Smith, the White Sox All-Star representative from 2025, emerged as a big league caliber starter with a 3.81 ERA in 146.1 innings a season ago. The White Sox hoped he’d take another step forward, but he’s run into some adversity in 2026. At his best, Smith is a capable top of the rotation starting pitcher, and he could certainly provide the White Sox more quality innings than Erick Fedde could in the rotation. 

The White Sox will definitely be looking at acquiring arms at the upcoming trade deadline, but asking prices may be high, especially for arms with control. I think it’s very likely the front office adds a couple veterans to the mix, but none may have as much impact on the roster as Shane Smith. Worst case scenario, the White Sox could consider using Smith in a bullpen role to give them another quality right-handed option, but I anticipate them keeping him in the rotation for now. 

With the impending returns of Shane Smith and Tanner McDougal, the White Sox have a pair of in-house options that could make a significant impact on the team in the second half. Chris Getz and the front office should keep that in the back of their mind when exploring the trade market to make this team better. If things continue how they’re trending, the White Sox could add a former All-Star back to their rotation just in time for the playoff push.

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