Adrian Houser Returns To White Sox From Paternity List, Ranks Among AL ERA Leaders

The injury-riddled White Sox pitching staff got a boost on Sunday, as starter Adrian Houser rejoined the team.

Houser was originally scheduled to pitch on Thursday against the Cardinals, but his start was pushed back after being placed on the paternity list. The veteran right-hander was reinstated ahead of Sunday's 12:37 p.m. CT rubber match against the Toronto Blue Jays.

In a corresponding move, left-handed pitcher Jacob Palisch was optioned back down to Double-A Birmingham after allowing two earned runs in one inning on Saturday, his major league debut.

Houser's return to the rotation is a welcomed sight for a pitching staff that lost starter Davis Martin and reliever Cam Booser to the 15-day injured list on Friday. The team has also lost starters Jonathan Cannon and Martin Perez to injury this season, among other injuries.

Since signing a one-year deal with the White Sox in May, Houser has been arguably the White Sox best pitcher. His 2.15 ERA across five starts ranks fourth among American League pitchers with at least 29 innings since May 20. The only pitchers ahead of him in that category include Detroit's Tarik Skubal (1.29 ERA), New York's Clarke Schmidt (1.46) and Tampa Bay's Ryan Pepiot (1.64).

Houser began his White Sox tenure with a pair of six-innings shoutouts, followed by two more quality starts. He's coming off his shortest start of the season, just 5.1 innings on June 13 against the Texas Rangers, while also matching his season-high with three earned runs.

Houser was a great find for the White Sox front office, which signed the 32-year-old to a one-year, $1.35 million contract in May. He previously pitched eight seasons in the majors, but the White Sox signed him while pitching for Triple-A Round Rock. The former Brewer and Met has now revitalized his career with the White Sox, and looks log another strong performance on Sunday.