The Chicago White Sox era of prospects is well underway, as the team's sixth-ranked farmhand, Reynaldo Lopez, has been promoted to the starting rotation and will make his first start with his new team Friday against the Kansas City Royals.
Lopez's move to the rotation comes at the expense of Mike Pelfrey, who will transition to the bullpen. The 33-year-old Pelfrey has a 5.31 ERA and 6.07 FIP over 95 innings this season with the White Sox.
Lopez, 23, came over as a part of the Adam Eaton trade this past offseason with the Washington Nationals. Prior to getting traded, Lopez appeared in 11 games for the Nationals, including six starts, and posted a 4.91 ERA and 3.92 FIP. The right-hander is the 59th-best prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline.
The White Sox - who have just 41 wins as the worst team in the American League - promoted Yoan Moncada, the top prospect in all of baseball, in mid-July. Since then, the 22-year-old infielder has struggled to a .173/.317/.288 slash line while playing second base.