Noah Schultz builds up in Charlotte, may need one more rehab start

Noah Schultz turned his second rehab start for Triple-A Charlotte into a sturdier step toward the White Sox rotation, working 2 2/3 scoreless innings in a 5-0 win over Buffalo. The 22-year-old left-hander threw 57 pitches, 38 for strikes, and the outing carried more weight than a routine box score because White Sox manager Will Venable had already said Schultz would likely need at least one more rehab appearance before he could be considered for Chicago’s thin staff. Entering that stretch, the White Sox were carrying a 4.59 starter ERA, tied for 12th in the American League.

The build-up was the point. Schultz’s first rehab outing for Charlotte lasted only 1 2/3 innings against Buffalo, when he threw 38 pitches and struck out four, then returned four days later with a longer workload and the same swing-and-miss. Against the Bisons again, he allowed two hits and one walk while punching out four, and a second read on the outing noted that he also hit two batters, a reminder that the command still has to keep pace with the stuff. Even so, Schultz kept missing bats while pushing past the short first step that usually marks the start of a rehab assignment.

Chicago has every reason to watch the progression closely. Schultz, who the White Sox took 26th overall in the 2022 draft out of Oswego East High School in Oswego, Illinois, made his major league debut on April 14 against the Rays and struck out four in 4 1/3 innings at Rate Field. In eight starts for the White Sox, he has gone 2-4 with a 5.82 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP, numbers that explain why the club wants him back but is still demanding another checkpoint before activating him. He was still listed on the White Sox starting-pitcher depth chart during the rehab period, a clear sign that Charlotte is serving as the last stop before a rotation decision.