White Sox No. 3 prospect Smith (elbow) avoids serious injury

CHICAGO -- Hagen Smith, the No. 2 left-handed pitching prospect in baseball (per MLB Pipeline) currently is away from Double-A Birmingham for biomechanics work, according to a statement from the White Sox earlier this week.

But Chicago's No. 3 prospect and No. 30 overall dealt with some elbow soreness leading to the change, soreness that has dissipated since his arrival in Arizona.

“We did MRI it, and there was nothing of concern at all,” said White Sox general manager Chris Getz, speaking before Friday’s series opener against the Rangers. “We compared it to where it was when we signed him. But he was feeling something, and it was showing in his velocity. We think it's related to his mechanics. We love the uptempo part of his delivery, but he's a guy that, on occasion, can rush out and forward.

“He needs to stay back, he needs to stay over the rubber. That'll allow him to pound the strike zone more, less misses, and put guys away. We're tackling that right now. We're thinking that's going to bode well for his overall health and production moving forward."

Smith’s last Barons outing on May 10 was hampered by a long rain delay and then halted after two innings, with his velocity fluctuating. The 21-year-old, who was the fifth overall pick in the 2024 Draft, has struck out 42 against 20 walks over 25 2/3 innings with a 2.10 ERA in seven starts this season.

The White Sox planned to monitor Smith's innings load during his first full professional season. So this break came at a good time, with his return coming “when it feels right,” per Getz.

“He hasn't thrown,” Getz said. “We just wanted to make sure the soreness is gone, which it is gone.

“Now it's really diving into the biomechanics. He's going to start [playing catch] here in a couple days. We'll continue to build him back up and make some adjustments along the way."