Lance Lynn injury: White Sox have replacements lined up

Chicago White Sox pitcher Lance Lynn is out at least a month with a slight tear in his knee. Who will the team replace him with?

Lynn is a top-5 AL Cy Young candidate at his best, which he’s been his last three healthy seasons. Unfortunately, he’s starting the 2022 season on the shelf.

Rick Hahn announced the White Sox star starter would miss at least four months, and be re-evaluated shortly thereafter due to the injury.

“It’s part of the game,” Hahn said Sunday afternoon. “I know we have a very deep and talented roster. Like every club, we’re going to face some adversity over the next seven months. The strength of the men in that clubhouse and coach’s room will serve us well.”

Lance Lynn replacements

Lynn isn’t easy to ‘replace’, as this post suggests. But someone needs to step into the rotation to start the season. First dibs will likely go to in-house options such as Vince Velasquez and Reynaldo Lopez, both righties who can fill out the bottom of the rotation.

MLB Trade Rumors hinted at this on Sunday, when Lynn was set to receive an MRI:

"“Swingmen Reynaldo Lopez and Vince Velasquez were involved in the bullpen picture, though at least one of the two hurlers will likely step into the rotation if Lynn’s injury requires an IL trip.  Velasquez was signed to a one-year, $3MM deal in March to provide some added pitching depth, though surely the White Sox weren’t planning on having to utilize this depth quite so soon,” Mark Polishuk of MLBTR wrote."

Chicago White Sox rotation without Lance Lynn

Without Lynn, the White Sox rotation lines up like this, per the team’s wesbite:

1. Lucas Giolito
2. Dylan Cease
3. Michael Kopech
4. Dallas Keuchel
5. Lopez/Velasquez

The Sox could also go outside the organization to sign pitching help, though unless that’s via trade, the aid wouldn’t be immediate. Any free agent would need some tune-ups before being inserted into the rotation.

With Chicago already shorthanded pitching-wise, Chicago might be better-served giving Lopez and/or Velasquez a chance to start the season.