Dane Dunning’s call-up isn’t imminent, but it sounds like it will come in 2020

The White Sox have already had six players make their major league debut in 2020. It sounds like more are on the way, including Dane Dunning.

Rick Hahn spoke to the media on Wednesday and opened with a number of injury updates. White Sox pitching depth has already been tested. Carlos Rodon and Reynaldo Lopez are on the injured list and Michael Kopech opted out this season. Saturday is the first open spot in the rotation, but Dunning will not get the call-up just yet.

The 25-year-old has succeeded at every step of his minor-league career, but hasn’t pitched in a competitive game since June 23, 2018. He went down with Tommy John surgery and missed all of 2019. He was set to return in the summer of 2020, but the lack of a minor league season has made for an atypical return.

Hahn said Dunning is not quite ready, but did make it sound like we should expect to see Dunning at some point in 2020.

“He’s continuing to build up his endurance and essentially is a guy who is coming back as a starter post TJ without the ability to go on rehab assignments,” Hahn said of Dunning. “We have a very strict program for what he is following and it doesn’t quite include his major league debut coming this Saturday, but at some point we’re going to be able to add him in.”

Dunning got some work in during Summer Camp games, pitching in both intrasquad games and the final exhibition on July 22. In that game against the Brewers, Dunning pitched two innings. He gave up a run on a solo home run while striking out two and walking three.

Hahn made it sound like Dunning is capable of pitching in a major league game. He doesn’t think throwing him into a start right now is the best thing for his injury rehab.

“It would be conceivably easy for us to say, ‘Alright we’re going to bring him Saturday because there’s a need and we’ll just keep him at three (innings) and 45 (pitches)’ or something like that in terms of that outing,” Hahn said. “But we don’t feel like that’s in his best interest long-term and, again, if we need to go and get creative and deal with some spot start situations a couple times through, we’ll make the most of it.”

Hahn also said he doesn’t expect Lopez and Rodon to have long-term issues. The White Sox may have four starters for only a couple rotation turns, minimizing the need to rush Dunning.

The White Sox have reason to be extra cautious after seeing Jimmy Lambert head to the 45-day injured list in the first week of the season. Lambert was only being used in relief duty, but was also returning from Tommy John surgery.

Beyond teasing Dunning’s 2020 debut, Hahn talked up the chances for fellow prospects Jonathan Stiever and Bernardo Flores. Stiever dominated A ball last year, but was limited this spring with forearm soreness. Flores has a 3.04 ERA in Double-A over 156 1/3 innings in 2018 and 2019.

“At some point, Jonathan Stiever is going to be deemed a viable arm for us,” Hahn said. “Bernardo Flores is a guy we’ve talked about as making an appearance at some point. We may need to get creative and weather this storm with some of the arms that we have around here in terms of this next couple of times through as we wait for Lopey and Carlos to return, but that young pitching depth continues to exist and is going to serve us well, I believe, at this point and certainly into the future.”

Madrigal injury update

Outside of the pitching, Hahn talked about Nick Madrigal’s injury. Madrigal left Tuesday’s win in Milwaukee after sliding awkwardly into third.

Hahn said Madrigal jammed his left shoulder. Madrigal will head to the IL, but could return by the end of August.

After an 0-for-8 start, Madrigal is hitting .294, all singles, with a walk and two strikeouts in 18 plate appearances. He also had a four-hit game in Kansas City.

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