The White Sox pitcher suffered a ‘weakness’ during the offseason

Chicago White Sox right-hander Drew Thorpe, one of the most promising tight ends in the organization, experienced a “slump” during offseason workouts that delayed his preparation for spring training. Thorpe discovered the problem while speaking with MLB.com’s Scott Merkin.

“Drew Thorpe had a setback this offseason. He got a cortisone shot today and hopes to be able to play catch later this week. He’ll start spring training behind, but I’m not sure how much,” via Merkin on X, formerly Twitter.

“Yeah, I’ll be a little slow to start. We’ll probably start playing catch again next week, but that should be pretty quick.

The 24-year-old Thorpe, who was acquired in a high-profile trade last offseason, assured fans that there was no structural damage to his hand. “Yeah, I’ll be a little slow to start,” Thorpe explained. “We’ll probably start playing catch again next week, but it should be pretty quick.” Everything is structural in the hand, a couple of weeks ago I did an MRI, everything is clean, everything is good. It’s part of the surgical process, I guess.”

Thorpe also addressed concerns about his health, highlighting the positive results of recent medical assessments. “Everything is structural in my hand, I had an MRI a couple of weeks ago, everything is clean, everything is good. “I guess it’s part of the surgical process,” he said, referring to the procedure he underwent last season to remove a bone spur from his elbow.

Drew Thorpe will likely miss the season opener for the White Sox

Thorpe’s 2024 campaign was exuberant. After being traded twice during the offseason, he joined the White Sox with significant hype as a top-100 prospect. The young pitcher impressed at Double-A with a 1.35 ERA in 60 inningsachieving direct promotion to the big leagues in June. however, his major league debut showed both promise and inconsistency.

Thorpe finished the season with a 5.48 ERA in 12 starts, showing flashes of dominance but also struggling with command and speed. His fastball, which scouts noted could reach 95 mph, averaged just 91.1 mph in the majors. Physical setbacks, now attributed to ongoing elbow issues, may have contributed to his struggles.

Despite the rough debut, the White Sox remain optimistic about Thorpe’s potential, especially with a fully healthy arm. His offseason setback means he will start spring training late, but the team expects him to make quick progress and return to form.

The White Sox are counting on Thorpe to play a significant role in their rotation as they move through a rebuilding phase. With Thorpe healthy, fans can look forward to a more consistent and impactful presence from the right-handed prospect in 2025.