As was reported last night, the White Sox have called up pitching prospects Hagen Smith and Tanner McDougal to their 26-man roster, while southpaw Noah Schultz and right-hander David Sandlin were optioned to Triple-A.  The final corresponding move was right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez being designated for assignment, as a 40-man roster spot also had to be created in order for Smith’s contract to be selected.

Gonzalez is probably best known for being one of the four prospects the Red Sox sent to Chicago in the Garrett Crochet trade in December 2024.  Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery drew most of the headlines as top prospects and Chase Meidroth quickly emerged as an infield starter, but Gonzalez had quite a respectable MLB debut himself in 2025, posting a 2.66 ERA and a 28.7% strikeout rate over 20 1/3 relief innings (with the down side of a 13.8% walk rate).

This remains Gonzalez’s only big league exposure, as he has spent all of 2026 with Triple-A Charlotte.  More specifically, he spent about two months on Charlotte’s injured list, and Gonzalez has only a 6.60 ERA to show for his 30 innings at three different affiliates.  Since returning from the IL, Gonzalez has been hit hard to the tune of an 11.81 ERA in 10 2/3 innings, with multiple runs allowed in each of his last four outings.

His strikeout rate for the season remains at 30%, however, and his walk rate has dropped to a somewhat more respectable 11.4%.  Within this context, it is still a little surprising to see the White Sox part ways with Gonzalez in such unceremonious fashion, even though his rough recent performance might’ve simply made him expendable.

This is the first time Gonzalez has been designated for assignment, so he can’t refuse an outright assignment if he clears waivers.  Whether he clears the wire is another matter, as teams might be interested in claiming a 24-year-old with MLB experience who has a minor league option remaining.  If nothing else, a club with some 40-man flexibility can take a flier on Gonzalez to see if there’s a solution to his current issues, if there’s still an injury lingering, or if a longer-term fix could be found for his control problems.