TORONTO -- The White Sox got some good news down on the farm on Sunday as the club announced that Hagen Smith (No. 3 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 52 overall) was reinstated from the injured list at Triple-A Charlotte.
The 22-year-old initially went on the 7-day IL on June 16 due to a left shoulder impingement, with the plan at the time being that Chicago would shut down the southpaw from throwing for two weeks before ramping up for a return to game action.
Smith returned on Sunday, finishing one inning while giving up one run on one hit and three walks while striking out two.
COMPLETE WHITE SOX PROSPECT COVERAGE
The injury came as Smith entered the picture for a potential recall to the White Sox to help out the Major League rotation, but a rainout ended up keeping the fifth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft in Charlotte.
“He is one of our guys,” White Sox manager Will Venable said on June 16. “We are really excited for him to contribute at the big league level. He is continuing to work on things. Obviously, now, he has health challenges as well. But he, among all of our guys down there, wants to be healthy, performing well and come help us at the big league level.”
Through his first 14 starts of the season in Triple-A, Smith struck out 77 batters in 52 innings, while walking 36 and carrying a 4.67 ERA. His final appearance before the injury came on June 13, when he surrendered eight runs (seven earned) on six hits and three walks over 4 1/3 frames against Oklahoma City.
Smith had been excellent in his three previous outings, racking up 25 strikeouts in 14 innings while allowing just three runs.