South Side Column: September Call Ups Will Make This An Interesting Month

While we all know it will be Tommy Pham (welcome back) and Tanner McDougal who will be the 27th and 28th players on the roster for the White Sox (I still miss the 40 man days), that doesn't mean these are the set 28 guys for the month of September. Players will still be brought up and sent down and possibly some even being let go, but this month could be really interesting how the club uses the 40 man roster to get through the month. The minor league season ends September 20th, so there will be plenty of time for the guys to keep getting playing time before their 2026 campaign ends in Charlotte. The major league season ends a week later, so there is a good chance a lot of guys will come up to Chicago after Charlotte's season is over and be there as taxi squad players.

The one area that will be the most important place in September to use these guys is the pitching. Let's be real, the rotation is thin and the bullpen is getting taxed so some players are going to be rotated in and out between the majors and the minors in order to get through the month. McDougal is one of them, but don't be shocked to see David Sandlin, Noah Schultz, Jonathan Cannon, and Shane Smith being recalled to throw some quality innings or be used in long relief. Davis Martin getting healthy would make a world of difference too. Then there is Drew Thorpe, who continues to throw well in his rehab assignment at Charlotte, as that could also help shoulder the load when he is activated off the injured list. Plus, Chris Murphy and Huascar Brazoban getting healthy would help too, though I'd imagine Murphy is going to be minor league depth once he comes back off the injured list or possibly even designated for assignment or moved to the 60 day IL once Thorpe is activated. Either way, it's nice to have options down this road in a postseason battle.

As for the batters, there unlikely will be too much movement unless something happens. Pham being picked up helps a lot as he is a veteran guy who hits left handed hitters well historically, but this year in the minor leagues, he has a .861 OPS. That probably means that Brenton Doyle, who has options, will likely be demoted and Junior Perez will be DFA'd. It gives manager Will Venable a couple more options there if that becomes the case. Otherwise, Kyle Teel will be coming off the injured list soon as he rehabs in Charlotte, but once he is back, it means either Jake Rogers or Drew Romo lose their spot on the 40 man roster and if the Sox were smart (which they seem to be more lately), Romo is the likely candidate to be DFA'd. Rikuu Nishida could get a look as well especially for his ability to play the corner outfield and middle infield, plus has a lot of speed and is a left handed bat. Edgar Quero probably won't get a look until after the minor league season ends as the Pale Hose will want him to continue to develop, but after that, he surely will come up and be on the taxi squad. Joey Bart will be an intriguing one as he might just stay on the injured list for the rest of the season until the postseason when he could be activated. Problem with activating Bart for the playoffs is that he has no options left which could mean Rogers is the odd man out. The Sox will have a hard time deciding between both Bart and Rogers, but that's a problem for the postseason.

So this could be an interesting September and we will see how Chris Getz maneuvers through the month with roster moves. There are plenty of options for the club at hand, which makes things easier to navigate down the stretch. But for the first time in a long time, the White Sox are in a playoff push and have the depth to do it.