On Tuesday the White Sox bullpen took a hit. Right-hander Prelander Berroa has been diagnosed with a grade 1 elbow strain. According to MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, “it looks as if” Berroa can avoid Tommy John surgery “in the short term,” however the next steps still need to be determined.
On Tuesday, the White Sox bullpen suffered a setback as right-hander Prelander Berroa was diagnosed with a grade 1 elbow strain. According to MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, Berroa appears to have avoided Tommy John surgery “in the short term,” though his next steps remain uncertain.
“In the sense that we'll have this period where we'll give him an opportunity to recover, yes, but obviously very serious and just hopeful that he'll be all right,” White Sox manager Will Venable told MLB.com “We'll continue to evaluate and hope we come out of it on the good side of the possibilities."
Losing Berroa would be a significant blow to a White Sox bullpen already riddled with question marks. Last season, Chicago’s relief corps struggled, posting a 4.74 ERA—the third-worst in baseball.
The White Sox front office has taken fliers on several players such as Cam Booser, Tyler Gilbert and Mike Clevinger to see if they can catch lightning in a bottle. Berroa, who finished the 2024 campaign with a 2.25 ERA in his final 12 innings, was seen by many as a potential closer in 2025.
Berroa, who turns 25 in April, joined the White Sox about a year ago as part of the Gregory Santos trade. In his young career, he has posted a solid 3.05 ERA over 20 2/3 innings between the Mariners and White Sox. While control has been a concern—evidenced by a 17.6% walk rate—he has also displayed electric strikeout ability, fanning 31.9% of the major league hitters he has faced.
The White Sox historically bad 2024 season was fueled by a bullpen that converted on just 35 percent of their save opportunities with a league-leading 36 blown saves. The South Siders never had a true closer, especially after trading Michael Kopech to the Dodgers. Kopech led the team with nine saves at the time of the deal. Following the trade the White Sox bullpen was a revolving door in high-leverage situations. This included Deivi Garcia (7.07 ERA), John Brebbia (6.29 ERA), Jordan Leasure (6.32 ERA), Steven Wilson (5.71 ERA), Justin Anderson (4.39 ERA) and Tanner Banks (4.13).
With a potential Tommy John surgery on the horizon, Berroa’s future role with the team is now even more uncertain.
