David Sandlin, a 25-year-old right-hander from the minors, will make his major-league debut for the White Sox on Wednesday night against Minnesota after Noah Schultz was placed on the 15-day injured list with right knee patellar tendinitis.
When Noah Schultz was placed on the 15-day injured list with right knee patellar tendinitis, the White Sox filled the gap quickly—and this one comes with a first-step moment: David Sandlin will make his major-league debut on Wednesday night against Minnesota.
Sandlin, 25, arrived in Chicago on Tuesday after being called up from Triple-A Charlotte. The right-hander stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 215 pounds, and he’ll jump into the Sox rotation in a start against the Twins at night.
In Owasso, Oklahoma, Sandlin’s path to the majors was anything but immediate. At Owasso High School. he played JV baseball for three years and didn’t become “good enough” to play varsity until his senior year. He also played football through his sophomore year. then focused on baseball after a late growth spurt helped his size catch up with his instincts.
Sandlin said he went from being 5-8 at the start of his junior year to “sometime in the middle being 6-1 or 6-2.” He also wasn’t flooded with college offers. After sending emails to junior colleges, he committed to Eastern Oklahoma State. From there, he moved on to the University of Oklahoma, where he played big-time NCAA baseball in 2022.
That year, he went 9-4 in 18 starts with a 5.59 ERA, striking out 102 in 95 innings.
Charlotte has been the stage where his pitching profile sharpened into something major-league-ready. Sandlin’s strength, he said, is his fastball. He’s been throwing in the high 90-mph range and has been clocked as high as 101 mph.
“I think I’ve kind of got a heater that I’ll let people have and I’ll get after them with it, but I could go at anybody with anything I have in my arsenal,” Sandlin said. “I think I’m a guy who just wants to fill up the strike zone, get outs as quick as possible and just go after people.”
In his debut, the White Sox expect to work him cautiously. He might reach about 70 pitches, though manager Will Venable said it’s still not a fully stretched-out starter workload.
“Not fully stretched out, but to the point that we feel confident he can go out there and pitch in a starter’s role,” Venable said.
Venable also pointed to how Sandlin’s mindset could matter once he’s on the mound in the biggest spotlight. The pitcher described an emotional edge he hopes turns into energy.
“I feel like I can tend to be an emotional guy to maybe try to fire up the team and fire myself up,” Sandlin said. “So that might come out tomorrow. I pitch with my heart on my sleeve, just with that kind of chip and knowing that I want to go after people.”
Through four starts with Charlotte this season, Sandlin went 0-0 with a 0.75 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 12 innings. The early part of his year included a right forearm injury, and he made two injury rehabilitation starts with Class High A Winston-Salem before returning.
His climb has also included a few stops that show how his talent stayed on the move. Kansas City selected him in the 11th round of the 2022 draft. Boston acquired him in 2024, then the Red Sox dealt him to the White Sox on Feb. 1, 2026, in exchange for right-hander Gage Ziehl, cash considerations, and two players to be named later.
The White Sox also made room in their day-to-day clubhouse communication for players who share more than just the same league. During Monday’s first major-league at-bat, Rikuu Nishida struck out swinging. The first person he talked to on the way back to the dugout was fellow Japanese teammate Munetaka Murakami.
Venable said the organization likes having more than one Japanese player on the team to help with communication, with translator Kenzo Yagi also in the mix.
“To have Rikuu there, also to be another voice, another perspective from somebody who’s at the plate, who’s hitting, who understands all this stuff to another degree is also very helpful.” Venable said.
In Tuesday’s game against the Twins, Nishida’s second game brought plenty of action in right field. He was playing fairly deep and just missed a diving catch on Trevor Larnach’s blooper that led off the fourth. Nishida landed on his belly and then ran to the wall to retrieve the ball as Larnach reached second on a double.
Then, in the next at-bat, Kody Clemens tripled on a liner into the right-field corner. The ball skipped to the fence, and Nishida chased it down.
The lefty, who is 2-4 with a 5.82 ERA, said the knee has been “nagging for a about a week or so.”
In the Sox’ victory, Nishida finished with his first hit, seven outfield putouts, and a run-saving throw to the plate. Murakami homered to help pace the offense but deferred attention to his countryman.
With Schultz sidelined and Sandlin’s debut now set for Wednesday night against Minnesota. the Sox rotation is about to get a new voice—one that has arrived from the minors with high-velocity confidence. a fastball counted on as his calling card. and a story that started. for years. outside the varsity spotlight.
David Sandlin White Sox major league debut Minnesota Twins Noah Schultz injured list Charlotte Triple-A Rikuu Nishida Munetaka Murakami Will Venable