White Sox prospect Ky Bush will undergo Tommy John surgery tomorrow and miss the 2025 season, general manager Chris Getz announced to the team’s beat writers this morning (via Scott Merkin of MLB.com). He’s on Chicago’s 40-man roster, so if the Sox need to free up a spot at any point, they can place Bush on the 60-day injured list.
Bush, 25, was a second-round pick by the Angels in 2021 who landed with the South Siders by way of the Lucas Giolito/Reynaldo Lopez trade in 2023. He made his major league debut for the Sox in 2024 but only started four games, totaling 17 2/3 innings with a 5.60 ERA. His minor league output was far more promising. Bush breezed through 80 2/3 innings in Double-A, logging a pristine 2.12 ERA with a 24.6% strikeout rate and 10.1% walk rate. He was hit hard in a small sample of four Triple-A starts, just as he was in the majors, but the bulk of his 2024 work was quite solid.
Given the patchwork nature of the White Sox’ pitching staff, Bush would’ve had a legitimate chance to break into the rotation — if not from Opening Day then certainly by midseason. The Sox currently have Martin Perez, Jonathan Cannon, Davis Martin and Bryse Wilson projected for rotation work. Prospects Sean Burke, Nick Nastrini, Jake Eder, Drew Thorpe and Jairo Iriarte are all in the running for a role in 2025.
Bush would have been in that race for a spot as well, had he been healthy. Instead, the White Sox’ No. 12 prospect (per Baseball America) will now spend the season rehabbing. The mid-February nature of his surgery gives him a chance to be ready not too long after Opening Day 2026. Assuming he spends the entire season on the 60-day injured list, he’ll gain a full year of MLB service while rehabbing. Bush would still be controllable for at least another five years — through 2030 — and would have multiple minor league options remaining as well.
Go back to NASCAR, buddy.
We don’t need another Kyle…
What about a Dale or a Darrell?
Is he the first Tommy John of the season? Sure sign of spring!
Reinsdorf will turn 89 in two weeks.
Father Time hasn’t caught up to Jerry, we’re stuck with him.
Like Kissinger, he’s a vampire and will live forever.
Kissinger did die. I drove the stake thru his heart.
Horrible Break for this guy. First week of Spring training. SMH
The Sox weren’t counting on him for anything. Still, hope he has a good career.
Drew Thorpe is hurt. Luckily, it doesn’t look too serious, for now, and he can contribute at some point in 2025.
That sucks. I liked the kid as a prospect and don’t like giving him up.
Hope he comes back stronger than ever.
Being a White Sox fan is suffering.
Hang in there, guys.
We’re being punished by the baseball gods and I blame Jerry Reinsdorf. But thank you for the encouragement, we’ll hang in there…
You must give Kenny and Rick credit as well.
That’s so White Sox for them to wait til spring training is about to start to put this kid under the knife. Wasted season of development and will likely be behind and cautious going into next season. No one knew during the entire offseason that this kid needed major surgery?
Yes, everyone in the organization knew with 100% certainty yet they waited until February 11th to do it. That makes perfect sense, very logical conclusion.
Usually rest and rehab preclude making the final decision of surgery. It didn’t work.
Sounds like it was just discovered. TJS has been an mlb issue for a long time, not WSox. There will be plenty more around the league. Max effort throwing.
How are those Bryzzo t-shirts working out? Asking for a friend
Must be Dodger pitching coach Mark Prior’s fault.
I agree. Him and Tom House.
And so it begins. The annual Tommy John parade that lasts and lasts and lasts. Thank you Bug Ceiling for encouraging PED’s so pitchers would try to throw 100 MPH on every pitch until their arms explode. Pitiful.
It will be interesting to see if it’s as brutal as last year.
Keep an eye on Davis Martin and Jairo Iriarte. They could be quality starters soon.
Thanks, but I have better things to do.
Obviously not.
Cannon and Burke already promising. Those 4 and then Schultz and Hagen. Losing KY for a year is a bummer, but hopefully he returns stronger a la Gio. 26 is when things start clicking one hopes
Neither of us mentioned Thorpe… 7 potential quality starters.
Thorpe might be the ace actually!
Where are all of the knuckleball pitchers when we need them?
They’re all dead. I drove stakes thru the hearts of all of them.
As much as I respect Kershaw i would’ve preferred the FO bringing Buehler back.
Wrong article, Roddy! Hurry, you’re five minutes aren’t up.
Does not surprise me, ex angels
If they want to reduce arm injuries maybe they should raise the mound back to the height it was in the 60’s.
That puts the kibosh on Ky Bush for 2025…
Can’t spell punt without pun
And it begins