Jose Urquidy has moved into the White Sox rotation conversation and could start for the Sox on Monday after striking out nine Cubs hitters in six innings last week. For a 31-year-old who has not made a major league start since 2023, it is the kind of turn that can happen only when the outing is loud enough to force the issue.
That is why Rangers Vs White Sox searches lead to Urquidy now: he followed six scoreless frames at Wrigley Field last Wednesday with a performance that looked sharper than a standard rehab step. The right-hander, who usually sits 93 mph, worked with sinkers, changeups and a mid-70s curveball, giving the White Sox a look at a starter whose pitch mix can still miss bats even without overpowering velocity.
The timing matters because the White Sox acquired Urquidy via a small minors swap last month, and he arrived as a pitcher with a resume that reaches far beyond the box score from last week. He was pitching in the ALCS three years ago, and he has spent much of the previous two seasons rehabbing from his second career Tommy John surgery. That background is the reason Monday is more than a spot start on a calendar. It is a test of whether the White Sox can keep leaning on a veteran arm while they sort through pitching and rehab questions elsewhere on the roster.
There is still a limit built into the plan. Urquidy has not had a normal run of big league work in years, and he is being considered for the rotation despite that long gap. He said the pitch clock gives him a small window to slow the game down, adding that if he sees 14 seconds or 10 seconds on the clock, he wants to use that time to breathe, check a grip and think about what he will do next. The approach fits a pitcher trying to survive on feel and timing while the rest of the league leans harder and harder on power.
That is the tension inside Monday’s start. If Urquidy handles it well, he has a real chance to stay in the rotation mix. If the White Sox decide they need another answer after one look, the decision could shift quickly because they are still evaluating several pitching situations at once. For now, Urquidy has done enough to earn the next turn, and the next turn is the one that will tell the White Sox the most.
