The White Sox will promote right-hander Dane Dunning to make his MLB debut for Wednesday’s game against the Tigers, announced manager Rick Renteria after last night’s game (Twitter link via James Fegan of The Athletic). General manager Rick Hahn implied strongly as much earlier this week. It provides an exciting pitching matchup that provides a glimpse into the future for both clubs. The Tigers hit 2018 no. 1 general choice Casey Mize for the first time this afternoon.
Dunning, 25, does not draw the same fanfare as Mize, but he himself is a highly regarded judge who has long been considered a top prospect. Selected by the Nationals with the no. 29 general pick back in 2016, Dunning found himself on his way to the White Sox (next Lucas Giolito en Reynaldo Lopez) in the trade sent Adam Eaton to the citizens. That trade came just a day after the ChiSox shipped Chris Sale to the Red Sox in exchange for a packet of headers through Yoan Moncada en Michael Kopech at the Winter Meetings ’16, marking the point of no return in the difficult rebuilding process of Chicago.
Now, with Moncada taking the lead and many other promising young talents bubbling up to the Majors, the rebuilding comes full circle. Dunning becomes the ultimate reinforcement to join the fray. He has not put in a game in the regular season since 2018 due to Tommy John surgery, but before he went under the knife, he was even a top-100 caliber talent. The former Florida Gator has split into three professional seasons this year (not including his work in Chicago’s intrasquad games) and has put together an excellent 2.74 ERA with 10.2 K / 9, 2.4 BB / 9 and 0.6 HR / 9 in 266 frames.
Dunning has yet to pitch in triple-A, thanks to the lack of a minor league season in 2020, but he topped as a 23-year-old in Double-A back in ’18 and more than held his own: 62 innings with a 2.76 ERA and an even better 2.40 FIP. Thinning generates routinely large numbers of the ground ball, misses bats and demonstrates above average control. He does not have the kind of power arsenal that leads scouts to project him as a presence prior to the rotation, but a healthy Dunning could be a third or fourth starter for the ChiSox en route.
First, Dunning will step into a starting person who is currently without the named Lopez (shoulder strain) and lefty Carlos Rodon (pain of the shoulder). Seeing Lopez’s craving as a starter, there are issues about Rodon’s sustainability and the fact that Gio Gonzalez is on a one-year deal, there is ample opportunity for Dunning to work his way into the longest term of rotation – starting today. If he’s in the big leagues for good, Dunning has probably spent enough time this year in the minors that have prevented White Sox Super Two status. He also could not get a full year of service at this point, so the White Sox could at least control him for the 2026 season.
