Hagen Smith Dealing With Arm Fatigue, Next Start To Be Skipped
Hagen Smith's last outing was shortened to only two innings of work, and his next start will be skipped as the team attempts to manage his workload. The 21-year-old's velocity was down in his latest start, which the team believes was a result of arm fatigue and not any major injury, so they'll try to limit the lefty's innings over the rest of the season, indicating that other starts could be skipped or pushed back throughout the year. Chicago's third-ranked prospect has pitched well at Double-A Birmingham, posting a 2.10 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and a strong 39.3 percent strikeout rate over seven starts (25 2/3 IP), although the 18.7 percent walk rate needs some improvement. The 6-foot-3 hurler looks like he's well on his way to a 2026 major league debut, and armed with a fastball that can touch triple-digits that is paired with a devastating slider, he has the makings of a frontline starter, so this arm fatigue is a situation to monitor in the event it takes a turn for the worse.
Source: Scott Merkin
Chicago White Sox pitching prospect Source: Scott Merkin

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