The White Sox are going to select right-hander Mike Clevinger, per reporting from Jim Margalus and James Fegan of Sox Machine. Active rosters expand from 26 to 28 today, so it appears Clevinger will take one of the two new openings. The Sox have open 40-man spots and won’t need to make a corresponding move there either. Fegan notes that Clevinger will not be serving as a starting pitcher.
Clevinger was once a valuable starting pitcher but he hasn’t really been the same since his 2020 Tommy John surgery. Prior to that operation, he struck out 27.3% of batters faced. Since then, his strikeout rate has been just 19.2%. His 3.19 earned run average in the former split jumped to 4.28 in the latter.
Here in 2025, the Sox signed him to a minor league deal and experimented with moving him to the bullpen. He had a really good spring, throwing six scoreless innings with eight strikeouts, and earned an Opening Day roster spot. He wasn’t able to carry that over into the regular season, however. He tossed 5 2/3 innings over eight appearances with a 7.94 ERA, 9.7% strikeout rate and 25.8% walk rate.
That was obviously a tiny sample of work but the Sox quickly pulled the plug. Clevinger was designated for assignment in mid-April and outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte. Once back in the minors, he got stretched back out as a starter. He has thrown 79 innings over 18 Triple-A starts with a 4.22 ERA, 22.4% strikeout rate and 7.2% walk rate.
The Sox just lost Aaron Civale to the Cubs via the waiver wire, opening a hole in their rotation. That leaves them with Shane Smith, Martín Pérez, Davis Martin and Yoendrys Gómez as their four starters. Civale was supposed to start today’s game, so the Sox will need someone else to take the ball.
But per this reporting, it won’t be Clevinger, so perhaps he will be a long relief/swingman type of role. Bryse Wilson could perhaps enter the rotation or just make a spot start. Jonathan Cannon and Sean Burke are on the 40-man and one of them could be recalled, though Burke just started in Triple-A on Thursday and Cannon on Friday.
Photo courtesy of Ken Blaze, Imagn Images
Why are they calling up this POS when they have Tanner McDougal, Shane Murphy, Peyton Pallate plus others. Unless the Sox aren’t high on Tyler S or Mason Adams.
Aiden: They probably brought up Clevinger to see if he has any value. He’ll probably be dfa’d before the week is out. With the season going nowhere for the Sox they might as well leave their prospects down to get more experience.
They aren’t in a hurry to start the service clocks for McDougal etc. Sunshine will eat innings and help the White Sox compete for the 2026 draft lottery.
They’ll likely get a top 3 pick anyways.
Shane Murphy would be nice to see if his stellar results to weaker contact in AA (not velo) can translate well. AAA Charlotte is so offense friendly it would hurt their potential starters confidence….on flip side makes not pro caliber hitters look like they should be in MLB.
So that’s where he’s been. Thought he just faded away… even tho I’m certain some people were happy with that thought.
Took my son to Nashville last night for a Sounds game. Clevinger had been listed as the SP for the Charlotte Knights. Got to the game and it was a different pitcher that took the mound in the bottom of the first. Now I know why lol.
So much for the youth movement! Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
No other team but the Sox will sign him.
The pee-pee dance returns to MLB!
Cleve and Wilson will pitch today, Wilson starting
Him and plesac were never the same after their night out breaking covid protocol.
Are we sure it’s Cleve? I see on the their transactions page they recalled Ellard & Ramos