The White Sox placed left-hander Aaron Bummer on the 10-day injured list due to a left biceps strain, the team announced. Right-hander Brady Lail was also designated for assignment, and the two open Major League roster spots will be filled by right-handers Zack Burdi and Drew Anderson. Burdi is being called up from the club’s minor league training site, while Anderson had his contract purchased.
Bummer suffered the injury in last night’s game, departing during an at-bat against Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez. The seriousness of the biceps problem isn’t yet known, though any absence for Bummer counts as a problem for the White Sox given the southpaw’s increasing prominence in the bullpen. After posting a 4.36 ERA over 53 2/3 innings during the 2017-18 seasons, Bummer broke out with a 2.13 ERA, 2.50 K/BB rate, 8.0 K/9, and a whopping 72.1% grounder rate over 67 2/3 innings in 2019. Only Zack Britton had a higher ground-ball rate among all pitchers who threw at least 60 innings last season.
In a nod to their belief in Bummer’s work, the White Sox signed him to a contract extension in February that will pay Bummer at least $16MM in guaranteed money through the 2024 season. If two club options are exercised, Bummer will be in Chicago through 2026 for a total of $29.5MM — not a bad payday for a rather unheralded 19th-round pick from the 2014 draft.
Burdi, meanwhile, had a much higher profile as the 26th overall pick over the 2016 draft, though the righty’s progress was stalled by Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for much of the 2017 and 2018 seasons. If that wasn’t enough, a ligament tear in his patella prematurely ended Burdi’s 2019 campaign after just 22 2/3 innings. All told, Burdi has only 100 2/3 professional innings under his belt, and only 16 of them at the Triple-A level.
However, those Triple-A innings came back in 2016, indicating that the White Sox were planning on fast-tracking him to their big league bullpen in pretty short order. Working almost exclusively as a reliever, Burdi has a 4.31 ERA, 2.53 K/BB rate, and a 12.5 K/9 over his minor league career, and is the owner of a blazing fastball that regularly sits in the high 90’s and has often touched the 100mph plateau. Burdi’s arsenal suggests a possible future as Chicago’s closer, if he can stay healthy and translate his velocity into success against big league hitters.
Lail has four Major League innings to his name over the last two seasons, including a single outing for the Sox this season that saw him toss 1 1/3 frames of work in Thursday’s 8-3 loss to the Brewers. An 18th-round pick for the Yankees in 2012, Lail has mostly worked as a reliever in the minors over the last two seasons, and has an overall 3.97 ERA, 2.64 K/BB rate, and 7.0 K/9 over 741 career minor league frames. The DFA is an unfortunate early birthday for Lail, who turns 27 tomorrow.
Anderson will make his White Sox debut after joining the club on a minors deal last winter. He posted a 7.71 ERA over 21 innings with the Phillies over the 2017-19 seasons, and a 3.52 ERA, 2.48 K/BB, and 7.7 K/9 in 486 innings in Philadelphia’s farm system. Anderson has started 94 of his 101 career games in the minors but only started once at the big league level, so the White Sox will likely deploy him out of the bullpen barring a rotation emergency.
hope the best for Anderson, but i wouldnt expect anything if you are a ChiSox fan
@DarkSide830
Yeah, I can see why you said that.
What a bummer!
@phenomenalajs- You took the words right out of my mouth
I was watching the game. Bummer’s last pitch was a 95 mph strike. I have never seen an injured pitcher’s last pitch be a 95 mph strike.
He must have hurt his bicep when his arm was decelerating.
@Oscar Gamble- I think when Al Leiter came up with the Yankees as a rookie, he was throwing 100 miles per hour hurt
I hope Zack can play more than brother Nick this year. Injuries seem to run in that family.
I was going to say much the same thing. TJ for both and assorted other injuries. Family curse?
Bummer would be an enormous blow if out beyond 10 days. Losing Rodon, Lopez, Bummer and Kopech in a month is probably too much to overcome for them.
Maybe Kopech will now opt in!
@ChiSox_Fan
Depends on the reason Kopech opted out as to if he is allowed to opt back in. I think you have to be high-risk to be able to opt back in.
No doubt with Bummer absence hurting. Rodon and Lopez out helps-they have both been bad for a while.
Bummer regarding Aaron Bummer but the good news is that the Zack Burdi era finally begins on the southside after two years of assorted injuries. Burdi figures to be the White Sox best bet to assume the team’s closer role in the coming years.
Given his injury history and loss of velocity, I have little hope that he becomes the closer.
I wish they would give up on the idea of Rodon and Lopez starting, and see if they can become high-leverage relievers. Both have the stuff to close.
Is his velocity still 98-100? I thought he was back down in the mids after TJ?
Yeah, not sure if Burdi will ever be able to close (it would be nice if he can), but I’m looking forward to finally see him pitch. I know he’s not his brother, but it wasn’t a great omen to see his brother go down yet again. Let’s hope he doesn’t follow suit this time.
I think Lopez would be the more likely of the two to end up as closer. At this point, I can’t trust Rodon to ever be healthy enough to be a major contributor, and that’s too bad because when he’s on, he’s very good. Unfortunately, we have seen very little of him when he’s been on (at least not nearly as much as we wish).
Zack Burdi has the repertoire and stuff to be an elite closer for the White Sox. Hopefully his velocity will return following TJ surgery. Most importantly, he needs to improve his command.
Per https://www.futuresox.com/2020/08/08/downers-grove-native-zack-burdi-gets-first-major-league-call/:
We ranked Zack Burdi as the No. 18 prospect in the White Sox system on our preseason top 30 list. MLB Pipeline ranked Burdi as the 19th overall prospect in the system in their most recent update. Pipeline still rates Burdi’s fastball as an 80 pitch on the 20-80 scouting scale and the publication notes that carries “armside life.”
Zack’s 60-grade slider used to possess depth in the low 90 mph range and he also has a changeup that has flashed plus with tumble and run. Burdi sometimes loses direction toward the plate and struggles with command. He’ll need some changeup development to consistently put away lefties at the big league level, but he’s apparently earned that chance. Director of player development Chris Getz has been in Schaumburg overseeing the activities of Burdi and he’s the next man up for the White Sox.
@Aaron Sapoznik
I wasn’t suggesting that he didn’t have the stuff–he most certainly does. It’s more about his injury history and how well he has recovered from TJS. Believe me, I would love to see him reach his potential, but right now I’m skeptical until he proves me wrong. And I would love for him to prove me wrong.
As always, great information in your post.
“loss of velocity” – proceeds to throw 99mph darts low glove side in his debut. I think his velocity is fine.
Between Burdi, Bummer, Heuer, Hamilton, and Foster, the Sox have some young talent in the bullpen. Not to mention the older guys like Colome and Marshall.
@Priggs89
Yeah, I saw that also (with the 99 mph darts). Now that’s a good sign. Like I said, I hope Burdi proves me wrong.
Yes, the Sox have some fine young talent in the pen. I wouldn’t mind seeing Tyler Johnson get a shot before the season’s up, to see what he’s capable of.
Assuming no health issues, Lucas Giolito, Dallas Keuchel, Dylan Cease and Michael Kopech figure as locks in the White Sox rotation for the next couple of seasons. I also believe Dane Dunning will get the first crack as their fifth option followed by Jonathan Stiever.
I see Reynaldo Lopez as an impacting reliever in the White Sox bullpen next season. I also believe the organization will take the same path with their most recent first round pick, southpaw Garrett Crochet, that they implemented with Chris Sale. I see the tall lefty starting out in the White Sox bullpen and eventually transitioning to their rotation. Sale made his MLB debut in the bullpen the same year he was drafted back in 2010. This could be repeated with Crochet in 2020 provided the White Sox are strong postseason contenders down the stretch and assuming this troubled season gets that far.
Carlos Rodon may also serve as third power lefty with Aaron Bummer and Crochet next year provided the front office tenders him a contract before his final season of arbitration eligibility.
It isn’t a burdi, just a bummer case of an injury
Wha?
Again, there is something wrong with the training regiment for the pitchers.
Probably, but I don’t think this one is due to that. He got hurt the pitch after he threw a comebacker straight into the ground on the previous pitch that would’ve got them out of the inning with a 1-0 lead. Wonder if he was trying to do too much?
Boy, that was a great move DFAing Basabe to bring Lail up. I haven’t seen anything yet as to who has claimed him. I can’t imagine he cleared waivers.
It will be nice to finally see Burdi pitch.
I’m waiting to see “_____ claims DFA’d former White Sox prospect Luis Alexander Basabe off waivers.”
Knowing our luck it’ll be like Detroit or somebody. Watch them turn Basabe into a good CF and even Carson Fulmer into a good relief pitcher.
The way the players on the Sox are dropping, it’s probably a good thing it’s only 60 games this season. I suppose it gives others the opportunity to shine that they might not have had (or show they don’t belong). Despite all the injuries, the Sox still seem to be playing pretty well. We’ll see if they can keep this up.