White Sox Hit Reset on Rotation Amid Sean Burke’s Slump

The White Sox are reportedly bumping their Opening Day starter out of the rotation, at least for now. 

According to MLB.com's Scott Merkin, left-hander Tyler Gilbert will serve as the opener for Friday’s series opener against the Athletics in Sacramento. He'll take the mound ahead of the originally scheduled starter, Sean Burke, who is expected to follow in a bulk relief role.

Burke impressed on Opening Day, tossing six scoreless innings against the Angels while allowing just three hits and striking out three. However 25-year-old right-hander has struggled since, failing to make it past the fifth inning in his next four starts.

Since his strong Opening Day outing, Burke has struggled, surrendering 15 earned runs over 15.2 innings. His 6.23 ERA tells part of the story, but the underlying metrics are even more concerning—his expected ERA sits at 8.86, the highest among all qualified starters. 

Part of the issue is that Burke has struggled to draw swings and misses. His 14.7% strikeout rate ranks near the bottom of the MLB, while his whiff rate and opponent chase rate rank middle of the pack. 

Control has become a concern over Burke’s last three starts. He issued four walks in Cleveland, two more against the Athletics at home, and three in his most recent outing in Boston.

With Martín Pérez sidelined and the White Sox in need of innings eaters to protect their bullpen, the move may be a way to ease the pressure on Burke before eventually returning him to the rotation.

Gilbert was signed by the White Sox in January and has already appeared in six games this season. In 5.2 innings of work, he owns a 7.94 ERA with eight strikeouts and a 1.41 WHIP. 

Gilbert only threw 8.1 innings for the Phillies last year in six appearances out of the bullpen. During that limited sample size, the 31-year-old posted a 3.24 ERA, with three strikeouts, a pair of walks, and a home run allowed.