The Chicago White Sox are preparing for the 2025 season tasked with GM Chris Getz’ incredibly underwhelming mandate to win more games than last year. Of course, the White Sox only won 41 games in 2024 as the team set the record for the most losses in a season with 121. Unfortunately, Getz’s laughably low bar is beginning to look like a challenge as Chicago is dealing with significant injuries.
Rookie pitcher Drew Thorpe will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery, according to White Sox reporter Daryl Van Schouwen on X. Additionally, infielder Brandon Drury fractured his left thumb.
For Thorpe, this is the latest setback in a tumultuous start to his career. After being drafted in the second round by the New York Yankees in 2022, Thorpe was included in the blockbuster Juan Soto trade with the San Diego Padres ahead of the 2024 season. The Padres then shipped Thorpe to the White Sox as part of the Dylan Cease deal.
The White Sox lost rookie pitcher Drew Thorpe for the season
In 2024, Thorpe was a highly-regarded prospect, ranking 85th in MLB.com’s Top 100 list. However, instead of allowing the young pitcher to develop in the minors while Chicago endured a brutal, hopeless season, the White Sox called Thorpe up straight from Double-A and he made his Major League debut in June.
Thorpe’s first big league stint lasted just nine starts as his season was cut short when he needed surgery to remove a bone spur from his pitching elbow. The results in a limited sample were underwhelming – he had a 5.48 ERA, 1.263 WHIP and 25 strikeouts in 44.1 innings pitched for the White Sox. Nonetheless, he was still well regarded by the organization and expected to be part of the rotation in 2025.
As he recovered from last September’s surgery, Thorpe had a soreness setback. This delayed his offseason preparation. He just made his first spring training appearance in the minors on Thursday when he felt discomfort in his elbow. Now he’ll need Tommy John surgery, which will keep him sidelined for over a year.
The other injury announced by the White Sox isn’t as severe. Brandon Drury is a journeyman infielder who’s played for seven teams over his 10-year career. He had a down year with the Los Angeles Angeles in 2024 but he was quite productive the previous season, hitting 26 home runs and knocking in 83 runs with a .803 OPS in 125 games.
Drury signed a minor league deal with the White Sox this offseason and he’s played very well this spring, slashing .410/.439/.821 in 13 Cactus League games. He was expected to make the Opening Day roster for Chicago. His loss is significant as Drury provides versatility with the ability to play all infield positions other than shortstop as well as the corner outfield spots. He’ll open the season on the injured list.
The post White Sox dealt devastating injury update appeared first on ClutchPoints.
