The White Sox on Tuesday called up one of their best pitching prospects, right-handed relief pitcher Grant Taylor.
Taylor, 23, was chosen in the second round of the 2023 draft. He was widely considered a first-round talent out of LSU, but he slipped to the Sox in the second round because he was recovering from Tommy John surgery during his draft year.
This is the right-hander's first full healthy season in professional baseball, and in 15 games in Double-A Birmingham, Taylor was 0-1 with a 1.01 ERA. He struck out 37 and walked 11 in 26.2 innings.
The first six of those 15 outings were starts. Someone controversially, the Sox recently moved him to the Birmingham bullpen. The prospect guys in the media and blogosphere objected, arguing that Taylor should continue his development as a starter.
No matter how you feel about that, Taylor was overpowering in nine Double-A relief appearances. He did not allow a run, while striking out 18. Only four batters reached bases against him -- three singles and one walk.
The Sox wasted no time throwing Taylor into a game. He worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh inning in Tuesday's 4-2 victory the Houston Astros. Taylor got his outs on 12 pitches, six of which were over 100 mph. He is still looking for his first strikeout after inducing a flyout to center and two grounders to the shortstop.
The Sox got a big game from Luis Robert Jr., who went 2 for 4 with an RBI double and his sixth home run of the season. Edgar Quero had perhaps the biggest hit, a two-out, two-run single with the bases loaded that staked the Sox to an early 3-0 lead in the third inning.
Shane Smith (3-3) perhaps didn't have his best stuff, as he allowed seven hits and two walks across six innings pitched. But he surrendered only one run and benefited from three double plays turned behind him. He struck out four and has now won his past two starts.
Brandon Eisert worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his second save of the season. The Sox are 23-44.
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