Chicago, IL (AP) – Chicago White Sox pitching prospect Noah Schultz had an uneven major league debut in a start against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night after being recalled from Triple-A Charlotte.
The 6-foot-10, 22-year-old left-hander had a jittery first inning when he allowed three runs — with two scoring on his throwing error to the plate —before settling down. Schultz went 4 1/3 innings, allowed four runs, three earned, on three hits, with four strikeouts and four walks. He took the loss as Tampa Bay won 8-5 for its fourth straight victory.
“I bounced back after the first inning,” Schultz said. “Got ahead of the hitters a little bit more. There were nerves in the first inning and nerves the whole time. Things to work on and good to get the first one out of the way.”
At 22 years and 252 days old, Schultz is the youngest starting pitcher to debut with the White Sox since Michael Kopech (22 years, 113 days) on Aug. 21, 2018, against Minnesota.
Schultz came in on a roll, with a 1.29 ERA in three games and 14 innings with Charlotte. He permitted only six baserunners while striking out 19 of 47 batters. Schultz is rated by Baseball America as the No. 1 prospect in the White Sox organization and No. 21 overall.
The Rays jumped out 3-0 in the first. Schultz walked Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero with one out and Ryan Vilade’s double made it 1-0.
Ben Williamson bunted back to the mound and Schultz threw wildly to home, allowing Caminero and Vilade to score.
“Kind of after the first inning, learn to breathe,” Schultz said. “Got some nice words from guys in the dugout to calm down and help settle me down.”
According to Chris Getz, the team’s senior vice president and general manager, the timing was right for Chicago to call up the 240-pound lefty.
“We just felt like he was at such as good place developmentally,” Getz said before the game. “We just wanted to capture his productive start and hopefully he can carry that over to the major league level.
“He’s got the stuff to be a front-line pitcher in this game,” Getz added. “His fastball’s been up to 98 mph. He’s commanding his sliders, commanding all pitches.”
Getz said stopped short of saying Schultz would assume a regular spot in the the rotation.
The White Sox selected Schultz in the first round, 26th overall, in the 2022 MLB draft. The Chicago-area native is a graduate of Oswego (Illinois) East High School, about 40 miles west of Rate Field, and his family members and friends were already at the ballpark before the the gates opened to the general public.
Getz said Schultz had rehabbed thoroughly from right patellar tendinitis, a knee condition that had hindered him in the minors last season, and now had improved overall lower-body strength.
The White Sox also brought back outfielder Everson Pereira from a rehab assignment at Charlotte on Tuesday and reinstated him from the 10-day injured list. He hit a three-run homer off Rays starter Shane McClanahan, who pitched five innings for his first win in nearly three years.
Chicago placed right-hander Jonathan Cannon on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to April 13, with right hip inflammation.
Pereira, 24, went on the injured list on April 5, retroactive to April 3, with a left ankle sprain. He’s batting .250 with a home run, RBI and three runs scored in five games. Pereira was acquired from Tampa Bay on Nov. 18, 2025.
The 25-year-old Cannon got hurt in the third inning of Chicago’s 6-5 win at Kansas City on Sunday when he faced three batters without recording an out in his season debut.
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