Jonathan Cannon got word that he was returning to the majors Wednesday night.
The White Sox’ third-round draft pick in 2022, he was back in the saddle two nights later, allowing three hits and striking out four over three scoreless innings in of relief of Garrett Crochet in a win Friday over the Red Sox.
He didn’t have immediate success in his initial big-league stint, heading back down for more fine-tuning — which he welcomed — after an 0-1 record and 7.24 ERA in three starts.
“I think the biggest thing for me, working on, was attacking lefties,” Cannon said. “Just kind of coming up with a better game plan and executing that game plan. That was my biggest struggle up here was getting those lefties out. I was able to work on some pitch-design stuff and iron some things out. I feel good where I’m at right now.”
Ten of Cannon’s 11 earned runs allowed came against lefties, and opposing hitters slashed .517/.548/.897 off him. Against righties, those numbers were a more encouraging .167/.219/.233.
With above-average stuff and multiple pitches in his arsenal, the Sox aren’t yet closing the door on Cannon becoming a starter. Manager Pedro Grifol said it would be “irresponsible to make a decision like that early in his career.” And the fourth and fifth spots in their rotation have been troublesome.
“We need some length, and he not only provides length, he provides weapons, too,” Grifol said. “He gives us a chance to win a game and give us some innings as well. It’s good to have him here.”
More opportunities for prospects
Cannon’s call-up opens the door for more debuts this summer. Sox veterans are underperforming, so why not see what guys in the minors can do?
“I think there’s going to be a lot of opportunities for a lot of guys here,” Grifol said. “We’ll let time dictate that, and we’ll play that by ear, but I think this is a time in our organization that we need to evaluate a lot of these guys.”
Right-hander Drew Thorpe has impressed in the minors. He’s 7-1 with a 1.35 ERA at Double-A Birmingham. Thorpe came over from the Padres in the Dylan Cease trade.
No matter how many losses they rack up this season, the Sox can’t pick higher than 10th in the 2025 draft. Progression from within will have to propel them into the next phase of their rebuild.
Crochet’s workload
Even before his six innings Friday, Crochet (6-5) had surpassed his previous career high of 54⅓ innings. The Sox haven’t started to monitor his innings because they need him and his reliable play, but they’ll have to broach the topic the deeper he goes into the season.
“The only thing we can go on is our communication with him, our sports-performance people, the way his body is reacting and the testing he’s doing in the weight room,” Grifol said.
“There’s no decrease in strength anywhere, there’s no decrease in velocity, there’s no warning signs. Right now, we’re OK.”
