White Sox Crushed 13-1 in Return Home; Cannon Heads to IL

Cannon’s Break Backfires

Cannon admitted that his back issue affected his previous start against the New York Mets, where he allowed five runs over 5.2 innings, four of which came in the first inning. He managed to settle in after that, but clearly wasn’t 100%. Before the back flared up, Cannon had a 3.07 ERA through seven starts, holding opponents mostly in check with 41 hits and eight walks in 41 innings.

With a low strikeout rate and limited swing-and-miss stuff, Cannon’s success hinges on location and keeping the ball in the park — two things he’d managed well before his back flared up.

Freeman Returns to the Bullpen

Freeman, a 15th-round pick from the 2019 draft, has worked exclusively out of the bullpen throughout his time in the organization. He made his MLB debut earlier this season and appeared in four games, tossing 2.2 innings with two earned runs, two strikeouts, and one walk.

Meanwhile, it’s that time again. Bryse Wilson will likely slide back into the rotation to eat innings and do enough to keep the roof from caving in. Wilson previously filled in when Martín Pérez hit the IL and now steps back into the same role with Cannon shelved. 

It’s a delicate balance: don’t get rocked early, give the bats a chance, and most importantly, keep the game just close enough to make everyone think we might be in it. Expectations are low, but so is the bar, and that’s precisely why Bryce is a perfect fit.

What’s on Tap Next?

Cannon joins Pérez as the only White Sox starting pitchers to hit the injured list this season, a small club, but one that probably had a spot waiting for him after the last two outings.

Given Cannon’s pitch-to-contact style, there’s no room for extra base runners or loud contact when he’s not 100%, and it showed. The Sox now turn once again to Wilson, the rotation’s version of duct tape, hoping he can at least keep the ship from taking on more water than it already has.