CHICAGO – The Chicago White Sox appointed left-handed pitcher Dallas Keuchel for Saturday’s assignment and removed boxing player Danny Mendick from the Triple-A Charlotte.
Keuchel went 2-5 with a 7.88 ERA and 20 strikeouts in eight starts in 32 innings with Chicago this season, his third with the club. He felt confident about changing things when he spoke to the media after a 16-7 loss to the Red Sox on Thursday, adding that he had been discounted earlier. But that change won’t come with the White Sox, as their six runs allowed more than two innings Thursday was their last outing with the team.
“Obviously, considering the back of the baseball card, so to speak, we wanted to give him a chance this season to show that he was able to get back on the court,” said the director. White Sox general Rick Hahn of the Keuchel movement. “There was not necessarily a magic number of starts that would have been needed before this decision was made.
“In fact, even though we’ve been talking about this internally for a while, his starts against New York in our place and Boston in Fenway were impressive enough to keep giving him the ball. Obviously the trend of the last couple, especially the other night, was enough to tell us it was time to try something else in that place. “
Lance Lynn, who has not released during the 2022 season, begins her injury rehabilitation work this weekend with Charlotte. The right-handed veteran thought he would need at least three starts with the Knights on the way back from right knee surgery in early April, with his first aimed at three innings and 45 pitches.
Michael Kopech, Johnny Cueto, Lucas Giolito and Dylan Cease already form a solid rotation of the White Sox. When the club needs a fifth starter during their upcoming road trip to Toronto and St. Petersburg, the White Sox could turn to Vince Velasquez or retrieve Davis Martin from Charlotte.
“[Manager] Toni [La Russa] and I just talked about it at length. We also talked about it yesterday, “Hahn said.” The plan is to put ourselves in a good position to beat the Cubs today and tomorrow and then find out once we get out on the road. the alternatives to follow “.
“If you don’t shoot regularly, it’s hard to be yourself,” La Russa said. “The way he was setting up with Johnny here and Lance coming, it’s hard.”
In his talk with Keuchel on Friday, Hahn said Keuchel handled the discussion like a true professional. Hahn also highlighted Keuchel’s contributions to the clubhouse and the field, with the left-hander finishing fifth in the American League’s Cy Young Award voting in 2020 after signing as a free agent on December 30, 2019. It was in the last year of a three-year deal of $ 55.5 million.
Their things weren’t quite the same, as the 6.82 ERA in the second half of last season would indicate along with this season’s struggles.
“You saw it. You looked at it. You saw it,” Hahn said. “The decision has been made and we are moving forward. I want to make sure that there is an appropriate level of appreciation for his positive contributions while he was here. “
“Personally, I wish him nothing more than the best,” White Sox relay Kendall Graveman said. “In this business, if you go for a while, you see a lot of things. It’s a shock, but you have to keep figuring out how to win baseball games with or without anyone in this locker room today or tomorrow. You can move forward. “
Hahn added a move to the bullpen that was considered for Keuchel. But they did not consider it a great recipe for success. The White Sox’s 40-man roster drops to 38 with Keuchel’s move.