White Sox pitchers and catchers do not officially report to spring training until tomorrow, but the injuries have already started. According to general manager and vice president Chris Getz, left-handed pitcher Ky Bush will have Tommy John surgery tomorrow.
Bush's Rocky White Sox Tenure
Bush, 25, was acquired with catcher prospect Edgar Quero in the Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López trade with the Los Angeles Angels in July 2023. Following his arrival into the organization, he struggled immensely in AA, putting up a 6.70 ERA in nine starts that season. However, he rebounded nicely in 2024, putting up a 2.12 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 14 AA starts. Bush then struggled in a small AAA sample size before making his MLB debut on August 5th. Despite walking more batters than he struck out and having a 5.60 ERA in four MLB starts, Bush ended the 2024 season as the #11 prospect in the White Sox organization per MLB.com. He was likely going to see more big league time this year had he not gotten hurt.
Tommy John Recovery Timeline
The typical recovery timeline for Tommy John surgery is around 12-18 months. Bush will undoubtedly be out for all of 2025 and likely a good portion of the 2026 season as well. It is an unfortunate blow for the team and Bush individually. He was on the cusp of carving out a role on the White Sox big league roster. Those plans are now derailed as Bush will go under the knife.
Injuries Are Stacking Up
The White Sox pitching depth is already being tested before they have played a single spring training game. Fellow pitcher Drew Thorpe is reportedly still recovering from an offseason elbow procedure. His availability for the start of the regular season could be in jeopardy.
White Sox Internal Starting Pitching Depth
Despite Bush and potentially Thorpe going down, the White Sox have more starting pitcher depth than they have in recent years. Davis Martin, Jonathan Cannon, Martín Perez, Sean Burke, Bryse Wilson, Jairo Iriarte, Nick Nastrini, Jared Shuster, Jesse Scholtens, and Shane Smith are all in the organization and could potentially start games for the team this season.
Free Agent Depth Options
If the White Sox want to reinforce their pitching depth via free agency, José Quintana, Andrew Heaney, Alex Wood, Patrick Corbin, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson are just a few of the numerous veteran pitchers still available. Given how young the White Sox pitching staff projects to be, adding another proven veteran before the season starts to eat innings is not the worst idea.
Final Word
Ky Bush going down to Tommy John surgery is disappointing but not unexpected. As of 2023, roughly 35% of all MLB pitchers have had Tommy John surgery at least once, per the American Medical Association. While it is a long recovery period, getting Tommy John is not the career death sentence it was once viewed to be. At just 25 years old, Ky Bush’s career is far from over.
