White Sox Giving Another New Arm a Shot Before Series With Athletics

Apr 26, 2025; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Doug Nikhazy (65) walks off the mound during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

White Sox Giving Another New Arm a Shot Before Series With Athletics

Originally posted on Chicago White Sox on SI
By Elias Schuster | Last updated Apr 17, 2026 7:31 PM ET

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Believe it or not, the Chicago White Sox have made another bullpen change.

In what has become a trend for GM Chris Getz and Company, the organization called up Tyler Gilbert earlier this week, only to have him throw in a single game before heading back to Triple-A. The lefty handled 1.2 innings of work, where he really struggled against the Tampa Bay Rays. He allowed four earned runs and walked a pair of batters. To his credit, 24 of his 39 pitches did find the zone, but that didn't stop Tampa Bay from capitalizing.

Gilbert's move back to Charlotte means the Sox will promote Doug Nikhazy. If that name doesn't sound familiar to you, that makes sense. The southpaw was not even in the White Sox system a couple of weeks ago.

Who is the White Sox newest arm?

The Cleveland Guardians decided to waive Doug Nikhazy earlier this season despite him not appearing in a single game. In fact, Nikhazy had only ever suited up in a total of two MLB outings during his tenure with Cleveland. Both games came in 2025, where he struggled to impress with 6 earned runs given up and 108 pitches thrown across his 4.0 innings. One of those games was a start.

Nevertheless, it's not a huge surprise that Nikhazy didn't make it through waivers. He was a former second-round pick by the organization who had a pretty decent showing during his time in the minors. In 2024, he registered a 2.98 ERA across both Double-A and Triple-A. He actually was at his best with the higher club, throwing 75 strikeouts in his 14 appearances.

Since coming over to the Sox, he has made two starts for the Charlotte squad. He's only allowed three earned runs in those performances and has done a good job limiting his walks. To be sure, it's a small sample size, but it was clearly enough to make an impression on a Sox team that continues to look for answers both in the starting rotation and bullpen.

So, who is Nikhazy as a pitcher? He isn't a high-velocity arm but rather all about movement. He will lean on a fastball but tries to focus on getting good spin and setting up his off-speed stuff. Both his change-up and curve have seemingly found success in the minors this season.

Nevertheless, it's only a matter of time before we get a real feel for what Nikhazy is capable of. Chances are we'll see him on the mound as soon as Friday night when the Sox take on the Athletics in the first of three.

This article first appeared on Chicago White Sox on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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