White Sox's Tanner McDougal: Working in relief since IL return
Rotowire
McDougal (forearm) has struck out five and allowed one hit and four walks over five scoreless relief innings since being reinstated from Triple-A Charlotte's 7-day injured list July 7.
Before hitting the shelf April 30 due to a right forearm flexor strain, all six of McDougal's appearances for Charlotte had come in the rotation. The White Sox could revisit developing the 23-year-old as a starter down the road, but in the short term he's being positioned to potentially join the big-league bullpen for the stretch run. The lanky right-hander has looked overpowering since moving to relief despite his control issues, and he'll likely need to show some improvement on that front before gaining any major momentum for a promotion.
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White Sox's Tanner McDougal: Progressing in rehab
Rotowire
McDougal (forearm) allowed three earned runs on three hits and a walk while striking out two across one inning with High-A Winston-Salem on Saturday, MLB.com reports.
McDougal has been sidelined by forearm tightness since late April and has now made two rehab appearances. They've each been a single inning, so it's unclear when he'll be activated from the injured list or what his role might be.
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White Sox's Tanner McDougal: Aiming for rehab games this month
Rotowire
McDougal (forearm) has been playing catch out to 90 feet and expects to be ready for a rehab assignment by the end of June, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.
McDougal has been on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Charlotte since late April due to right forearm tightness. The young right-hander is tracking toward beginning a rehab assignment in a few weeks and hopes to have 2-to-3 starts under his belt before the All-Star break rolls around. McDougal held a 3.00 ERA and 27:13 K:BB over 24 innings with Charlotte before getting hurt.
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White Sox's Tanner McDougal: Breakout season at Double-A
Rotowire
McDougal has a 1.20 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 65:16 K:BB in 52.2 innings over his last 10 starts across High-A and Double-A.
McDougal earned a promotion from High-A Winston-Salem to Double-A Birmingham on June 18 and hasn't skipped a beat, registering a 0.89 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 38:8 K:BB in 30.1 innings through six starts for the Barons. The 6-foot-5 righty had Tommy John surgery in 2021 and it wasn't until this year that he started throwing enough strikes to start, as he logged a 13.6 percent walk rate at Single-A and High-A in 2024. McDougal has big-time stuff, boasting a triple-digit fastball and a hammer curveball. He'll need to be added to the 40-man roster this season to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, and McDougal is trending toward being a prominent part of the White Sox rotation in 2026.
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White Sox's Tanner McDougal: Healthy again at Single-A
Rotowire
McDougal has made two starts for Single-A Kannapolis since being reinstated from the 7-day injured list April 21, covering six scoreless innings between those outings while striking out nine and allowing five hits and one walk.
After undergoing Tommy John surgery in October 2021, McDougal missed the entire 2022 campaign, and the White Sox opted to have him open the 2023 season on Kannapolis' 7-day IL. The 20-year-old right-hander missed only about a week of action before making his debut April 13, but he then went back on the IL immediately following that outing. Given that McDougal was activated nearly a week later, his return to the IL looks to have been precautionary. Given how well he's pitched for Kannapolis in his first two stats back in action, McDougal could soon be in store for a promotion to High-A Winston-Salem.
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White Sox's Tanner McDougal: Returns to IL after appearance
Rotowire
McDougal (elbow) made his season debut last Thursday for Single-A Kannapolis, striking out three over 3.1 scoreless innings while walking five and giving up no hits. Kannapolis placed him on the 7-day injured list one day later.
Pitching in a game for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in October 2021, McDougal did well to keep Delmarva off the scoreboard but struggled mightily with his efficiency. Kannapolis' decision to move him to the IL immediately following the outing could hint that McDougal experienced a setback with his surgically repaired elbow, though no update on his status has been provided.
