The White Sox announced Tuesday that they’ve selected the contract of righty Sean Burke from Triple-A Charlotte. Fellow right-hander Nick Nastrini was optioned to Charlotte in a corresponding move. The Sox already had multiple vacancies on the 40-man roster to accommodate Burke’s promotion.
Burke, 24, was Chicago’s third-round pick back in 2021 and has spent the season in the Charlotte rotation, making 16 starts and pitching to a 4.62 ERA with a weighty 31% strikeout rate but an ugly 13% walk rate. The 6’6″ righty was a two-sport star in high school, also shining as a basketball player, and has drawn praise for both his athleticism and a lively heater that sits mid-90s and reaches 97 mph. He complements the offering with a curveball, slider and changeup.
Baseball America ranked Burke 14th among Sox prospects entering the season but has since dropped him off their list. He’s currently their No. 29 prospect at MLB.com and No. 23 at FanGraphs. Each of Burke’s secondary offerings has drawn average or better ratings, but his entire arsenal is undercut by a lack of command.
Splitting time between two sports in high school, missing a year of his NCAA career at Maryland due to Tommy John surgery, and missing much of the 2023 campaign due to shoulder troubles have all cut into some potential development time for Burke. Optimists might argue his command could yet realistically be expected to improve as a result of this, but the pair of arm injuries is also a clear concern.
To his credit, Burke has indeed cut back on his walk rate, going from 16.3% in Triple-A last year to 13% this year. He’s improved particularly as of late, logging a 3.66 ERA, 37.4% strikeout rate and 8.3% walk rate across his past seven starts. It’s clear there’s still work to be done on his command, but he’s trending in the right direction the further he distances himself from last year’s shoulder woes.
Now, Burke will be the next man up for what could be a historically poor White Sox season. There’s no immediate spot in the rotation, with Jonathan Cannon slated to start tonight and Davis Martin going tomorrow, followed by a Thursday off-day. However, the Sox used four relievers to cover 6 1/3 innings yesterday, including 3 1/3 from Nastrini. He wouldn’t have been available to pitch after that lengthy relief appearance, so he’ll head to Triple-A while the South Siders summon a fresh arm to potentially provide length out of the ’pen. It’s conceivable that Burke could get a start or two down the stretch, particularly if he doesn’t pitch today or tomorrow.
