The White Sox will hand David Sandlin his major league debut after Noah Schultz landed on the injured list with a right knee injury. Schultz, Chicago’s best starter over the past few weeks, heads to the 15-day IL, a worrying turn for a pitcher who has dealt with his share of injuries in recent years.
The move came a day after the Sox got back on track. Munetaka Murakami’s latest home run powered a 3-1 win over the Twins on Monday, keeping Chicago above .500 and pushing its lead over Minnesota in the AL Central to 1.5 games. With three more against the Twins ahead and the division race tightening, the front office has kept the prospect pipeline flowing. Sandlin’s promotion follows Rikuu Nishida’s debut and first big league hit a day earlier, and both Sam Antonacci and Schultz have already made the jump this season, Antonacci settling into a regular outfield role and Schultz becoming the rotation’s ace.
Sandlin sits No. 18 on the Sox’ prospect list per MLB Pipeline and has appeared in six minor league games in 2026.
Sandlin’s road to the big leagues
Sandlin’s arrival felt inevitable. Chicago targeted him last offseason, landing him from the Red Sox in early February. The headline name in that trade was Jordan Hicks; the Sox took on the flame-throwing reliever and a large share of his four-year, $44.0 million deal, and their willingness to absorb that money is what pried loose a hard-throwing prospect already pitching at Triple-A.
His first stretch at Triple-A in 2025 was rough, a 7.61 ERA and 35 hits allowed across 15 games. Even so, the high-90s fastball and his knack for pounding the zone kept his stock up. A back injury cost him spring training, and he didn’t make a rehab start until late April at High-A. After two outings and 4.1 innings there, he moved up to Charlotte and has been sharp, allowing just one run over 12.0 innings across four starts with 17 strikeouts against six walks.
His long-term role is still open, since he’s worked as both a starter and a reliever in the minors. For now, Schultz’s injury slots the 25-year-old into the rotation, and his debut could come May 29 when the Sox open a home series against the Detroit Tigers.
