The Chicago White Sox are in the middle of an abysmal 2024 season. Things recently got even worse for the 15-40 Sox, as starting pitcher Mike Clevinger is reportedly headed to the injured list, according to Vinnie Huber of CHGO Sports.
“Mike Clevinger has been scratched from tonight’s scheduled start and is heading to the injured list with elbow inflammation. Jake Woodford coming up from Triple-A to make the start tonight. Another move clearing a 40-man spot still to come,” Huber wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The White Sox tried to contend in 2022 but fell short of their goal. They missed the playoffs in 2022 and 2023, and now they hold the worst record in MLB in 2024.
Chicago will likely start making trades fairly soon. The White Sox are going to have to rebuild in order to accomplish their goal of contending once again down the road. It certainly is not going to happen in 2024 barring a miraculous turnaround.
Losing Clevinger is not ideal, but the veteran hurler has endured a down 2024 campaign of his own.
Mike Clevinger struggling in 2024
Clevinger, 33, re-signed with the White Sox in early April. He had performed fairly well during his first season with Chicago in 2023, and the White Sox were likely hoping that he could start the season strong and potentially emerge as a trade candidate.
The odds of anyone choosing to acquire Clevinger have dwindled given his forgettable performance thus far in 2024. He has pitched to a lackluster 6.75 ERA and 1.938 WHIP across four starts. It is a limited sample size, but Clevinger has not found his rhythm up to this point.
He was expected to start on Tuesday against the Toronto Blue Jays but is now headed to the injured list with elbow inflammation. Elbow injuries are always frightening for pitchers, and a timeline has yet to be revealed for Clevinger as of this story's writing.
There was a time when Clevinger was regarded as one of the better pitchers in baseball. He enjoyed multiple impressive seasons while pitching for the Cleveland Guardians. He immediately suffered an injury after getting traded from Cleveland to the San Diego Padres back in 2020, however, and he has not been the same ever since.
Clevinger will try to get back on track once he returns from this latest elbow injury. For now, it is uncertain when his return will come to fruition.
White Sox's miserable 2024 season
It is a difficult time to be a White Sox fan. A few years ago, it appeared as if Chicago was on the verge of contending for years to come. Instead, they have become the worst team in MLB.
They are not even all that close to surpassing any teams ahead of them either. The Miami Marlins and Colorado Rockies both have 19 victories, so it's difficult to argue against Chicago being the worst team in the sport this year.
One has to imagine the White Sox will consider trading most, if not all of their stars. Rebuilding is likely their best course of action. This ball club does not project to be a contender any time soon.
It is unfortunate. Players such as Luis Robert and Eloy Jimenez were expected to help the White Sox emerge as a World Series favorite. Following the 2021 season, Chicago fans probably thought the team could win their first World Series since 2005.
Perhaps the team will have a quick rebuild and get back on track soon. There is no question that the 2024 campaign has been a disappointment, however.
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