Gavin Floyd Back From DL

Prior to tonight’s game vs. Detroit, the Chicago White Sox reinstated right-handed pitcher Gavin Floyd from the 15-day disabled list. Floyd is scheduled to start tonight vs. the Tigers.

Floyd, 29, has been on the disabled list since August 28 (retroactive to August 27) with a right elbow flexor strain. He left his last start on August 26 vs. Seattle after two IP due to discomfort in his right elbow.

With the roster move, the White Sox active roster increases to 34 (17 pitchers and 17 position players).Floyd wasn’t pitching that well even while not on the DL this season; he’s got a 4.55 ERA and 1.431 WHIP in 24 starts. Truth be told, that isn’t too far off his career averages (4.50 and 1.34). But the White Sox need him to step up in this key series.

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But that’s a problem for another day. If you’re the White Sox, you sleep better Tuesday night, knowing that Gavin Floyd is starting in a big game and Francisco Liriano isn’t.

Floyd and the White Sox, though, aren’t happy after this announcement from the team Tuesday:

This will be the second time this season that Floyd has had a DL stint with right elbow troubles; he was also out in late July for the same reason. Given the fact that after he came back, he struggled through seven starts with a 4.58 ERA and 22 walks in 35⅓ innings, perhaps it’s best for the White Sox to rest him for at least 15 days.

This ailment is not the first issue Floyd has had with that right elbow this season as a bout with tendinitis landed him on the DL in July. According to Scott Powers of ESPN Chicago, manager Robin Ventura would not be surprised to see Floyd miss his next scheduled start. Powers writes that Floyd felt discomfort early on in the game, and he hopes that the issue is less serious this time around.

Floyd is 9-9 with a 4.55 ERA for Chicago this season.

The team will send Floyd through a gamut of tests to determine the extent of his injury, but there’s no denying how truly close the veteran pitcher was to being dropped from the rotation altogether. Even though it’s clear the White Sox want Floyd to avoid the disabled list in the coming days, a youngster like Santiago (24 years old) could present a good deal of upside down the stretch.

Head over to South Side Sox for more reaction to Floyd’s injury, and be sure to check out Baseball Nation for even more coverage from around the league.

The White Sox activated Floyd Monday, according to a press release from the team:

For more on the White Sox, please visit South Side Sox and SB Nation Chicago.

Floyd’s never before been placed on the DL. There was a time this season that he looked like a mess, as his ERA stood at 5.63 on June 14. But it’s down to 4.54, and his peripherals are about as good as ever. A healthy Gavin Floyd could and would be important for the White Sox down the stretch.