The Chicago White Sox have an innings issue. The team's pitching staff is loaded with young arms that have never had to handle the workload of a full MLB season.
With the trade deadline approaching, the White Sox are expected to flip veteran starters Adrian Houser and Aaron Civale to contending teams for prospects. Those moves make a lot of sense for Chicago's rebuild, but will put them in a tough situation for 2025.
Shane Smith had an electric start to the season, but he might already be tiring out before the All-Star break. Davis Martin and Jonathan Cannon have both been dealing with injuries recently and Sean Burke has never thrown more than 108 innings in a season (he's already at 87).
It's hard to see where the White Sox are going to get their innings from down the home stretch of the season. Noah Syndergaard could be an option eventually. Mike Clevinger has been stretching out as a starting pitcher, as well.
Calling up Noah Schultz or Shane Murphy would be fun, but inexperience could be a problem for those guys just like it is with Smith, Martin, Cannon, and Burke.
Things have been looking dire. But thankfully, the White Sox are getting bailed out of their predicament by veteran starting pitcher Martín Pérez.
Martín Pérez will pitch again in 2025
Martín Pérez had a remarkable start to the 2025 season before going down with what appeared to be a season-ending injury.
Pérez did six no-hit innings with nine strikeouts his first start of the season. He then gave up just one earned run over 6.1 innings against the formidable Detroit Tigers. In his first four starts, Pérez posted a 3.15 ERA in 20 innings.
The White Sox then placed him on the 60-day Injured List with a flexor tendon strain.
Fortunately, Pérez may not be lost for the season like Sox fans once feared. Pérez recently told MLB.com's Scott Merkin that he could begin injury rehab in August and was confident he would pitch again this year.
Martin Perez told me today he hopes to be in an injury rehab game by Aug. 2. First up is three throwing sessions from 120 feet, followed by what he described as two "touch and feel" throwing sessions. And then on to the mound.
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) July 3, 2025
"Oh yeah. Before the season is over? 100 percent," Pérez told Merkin when asked if he would pitch in a big league game again this season.
Getting Pérez back, even if only for six weeks, would be a huge lift for the White Sox pitching staff. It's another experienced starter that can take the load off of Chicago's young arms.
Protecting pitchers has been and should continue to be a priority for the White Sox. They cannot afford another season of arm injuries like what they are dealing with in 2025.