The White Sox will send top pitching prospect Dylan Cease to the mound during Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Tigers, per an official announcement. Cease has already been added to the 40-man roster, but has yet to make his MLB debut this year.
The 23-year-old right-hander currently ranks third-best in the White Sox system and 18th-best in the league. He was promoted to Triple-A Charlotte at the outset of the 2019 season and has pitched to mixed results with a 5-2 record in 15 starts and a 4.48 ERA, 4.2 BB/9, and 9.6 SO/9 across 68 1/3 innings so far. Although his adjustment to a higher caliber of competition has been a little bit slower than the White Sox might have liked to see, his track record at Single-A and Double-A -- and the above-average fastball/curveball combo that earned him top billing in the first place -- may point to future success in the majors.
According to comments given by manager Rick Renteria on Sunday, the club doesn’t intend to shelve Cease after his spot start on Wednesday. Barring disaster, it looks like the young righty will slot into the rotation on a regular basis, helping fill out the back part of a pitching staff that currently features fellow right-handers Lucas Giolito, Iván Nova, and Reynaldo López and lefty Ross Detwiler. Entering Sunday, the rotation collectively ranks just 22nd in the league with a 5.43 ERA and 3.8 fWAR this season.
