The White Sox announced that they have reinstated right-hander Matt Foster from the 60-day injured list. In a corresponding move, fellow righty Dominic Leone was placed directly onto the 60-day IL with a sprain of his right ulnar collateral ligament. Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times relayed on X prior to the official announcement that Foster would be activated and Leone would be going on the IL.
Foster, now 29, had a decent showing with the Sox from 2020 to 2022. In that time, he made 108 appearances for the Sox, allowing 4.39 earned runs per nine innings. He struck out 23.7% of batters faced and gave out walks at an 8.2% clip.
Unfortunately, he required Tommy John surgery in April of 2023, turning that into a totally lost season for him. He has been on the injured list since then and began a rehab assignment in June of this year. He has thrown 14 2/3 innings on the farm this year as part of that rehab with a 2.45 ERA, 30.8% strikeout rate and 7.7% walk rate.
Foster qualified for arbitration for the first time after the 2023 campaign. Though he was still rehabbing from his surgery, the Sox tendered him a contract. But due to his missed time, he was only able to get a raise to $750K, barely above this year’s $740K league minimum salary.
He’ll likely be looking at yet another modest raise in arbitration this winter, since he’s already missed most of the season. The Sox can get a look at him over the next few weeks and decide what role they want him to play on next year’s club.
As for Leone, it’s unclear exactly how serious this injury is, but it’s evidently enough to end his season. By going directly onto the 60-day IL, he can’t come back during the regular season. The Sox are trending towards one of the worst seasons in history, currently sporting a record of 29-93, so the playoffs obviously aren’t remotely a consideration.
The veteran signed a minor league deal with the Sox and cracked the Opening Day roster, but he’s spent most of the season on the IL. Lower back tightness put him there for a couple of weeks in May. Just a few days after returning from that issue, he went back to the IL with right elbow inflammation. That elbow issue put him out of action for more than two months and he only just returned in the first week of August.
Overall, he has tossed 19 innings on the year but won’t be able to add to that total. A UCL sprain doesn’t necessarily always lead to surgery, but even the non-surgical recovery path requires a lengthy layoff. If he does require some kind of UCL surgery, that will likely wipe out his 2025 season, given the year-plus recovery times with such significant operations. If he’s able to avoid the surgeon’s table, he will be looking to return for a 12th straight MLB season. He has 427 career appearances with a 3.94 ERA.
California 8
They were predicted to win 110+, they will actually end up losing 110+. One of the biggest busts in MLB history, Hopefully they can rebound next season and win a World Series for Jerry.
Rsox
No they weren’t…
Acoss1331
The White Sox didn’t even win 100 games during their championship season in 2005, so…
Aiden Awe
The Wsox only won 100 games once in their entire franchise
Aiden Awe
What. They were never predicted during their “window” to win 110+ games.
Texas Outlaw
@DJ they were never predicted to win 110. Most everyone figured the would lose about 90 plus
Datashark
That is going to crush their playoff drive
Acoss1331
Why not go for the record at this point. As a White Sox fan, full throttle boys!
Rsox
I guess if you are going to bad, be spectacularly bad…
Acoss1331
Rsox,
Both Chicago teams disappointed this year, breaking the losing record is all I’ve got sadly…
Troy Percival's iPad
I only wouldn’t go for it because of the draft lottery lmao all that just to get the #5 pick
Rsox
At this pont the old addage “there’s no such thing as bad publicity” comes to mind. At the very least people will be talking about the White Sox long into the winter months…
Aiden Awe
Could argue even if they avoid the 120 L mark they might be the worst team of all time in a year they can’t get a top 10 pick.
AlistairC
Their saving grace might be that in baseball unless there’s a Bryce Harper no-brainer type then the 11th pick can have just as good of odds as the 1st of eventually working out. Granted you have to get lucky and then develop them and not have a cheap owner who goes for the lowest signing bonus not the most talented, but on paper…
avenger65
Troy: They can’t pick higher than tenth.
avenger65
Alistair: The problem is, the Sox don’t have coaches that know how to develop talent, should they ever get any.
YankeesBleacherCreature
Then it’s nowhere to go but up!
Aiden Awe
Your damn right.
msqboxer
When your rebuild plan is built around signing washed up relievers in hopes they have trade value at the deadline, you know your an idiot.
Datashark
The high pick draft strategy. They just need to make the right picks to make this work out
WrongM
Tough day to be a Dominic
JRamHOF
Immaculate Grid legend
Serubian
new manager, another .199 hitter batting 2nd.
..LaRussa, his replacement, Grifols, now Sizemore.
..Bat the .199 guy 7,8,or 9
avenger65
Just what ARE they doing?