ANAHEIM, Calif. — The continued development of the White Sox on this just-concluded six-game western excursion vs. the Padres and Angels has to be best exemplified by the presence of reliever Mike Vasil.
Vasil, 26, would have been in the bullpen this season had he not undergone Tommy John ligament replacement surgery near the end of spring training. He’s very early in the 12-to-18-month recovery period.
The trip ended on a down note with an 8-2 loss to the Angels at Angel Stadium. The Sox finished the trip 3-3, dropping two of three at Anaheim after taking two of three in San Diego. Left-handed starter Noah Schultz just didn’t have it allowing seven runs on seven hits before leaving with two out in the fourth inning.
Sans the finale, the 17-20 Sox were right there in the other five games, winning three.
“The wins were good. There was a lot of good stuff,” Sox manager Will Venable said. “The losses were hard-fought games, and we had a chance in the ninth inning. I was just really proud of the guys. They continued to fight.”
The trip was a chance for a vastly young team without much veteran presence to build some camaraderie. Vasil is a big part of that.
He admittedly is the team cutup, a funny guy who keeps his teammates loose, particularly his colleagues on the pitching staff. As unusual as it sounds, by mass acclimation, Vasil is traveling with the team and will do so for the foreseeable future because he fills a necessary function.
“When Vasil went down I probably got like five phone call and 10 text messages from different teammates and coaches, all supporting the idea of him sticking around with the group,” Venable said. “That was something I didn’t need any convincing to do.”
Vasil was an all-purpose reliever and spot starter for the Sox last season pitching in every kind of situation. He made three starts, finished 17 games, recorded four saves and a 5-3 record with a 2.50 ERA. More significantly, he pitched 101 innings in 47 appearances, unheard of in this day and age.
Vasil led all MLB hurlers in 2025 with 90 innings pitched as a reliever. But it wasn’t his prowess out of the bullpen that made his greatest impression on the team.
“I did everything they needed me to do,” Vasil said. “I’ve set up my career well now where I can do anything.”
And happily.
Davis Martin, Sean Burke, Erick Fedde and Anthony Kay, who all pitched well for the Sox on this road trip, were Vasil’s biggest advocates.
“It was a no-brainer,” Venable said. “This guy, with the impact he has on his teammates, on our clubhouse and our culture, was impactful beyond what he was doing on the field. Whether he’s just on the mound or recovering this guy is having a huge impact on our guys. It’s really important to keep him around.”
Why?
“He’s just a great connector,” Venable said. “He’s got great relationships with everybody. He’s got great energy. He’s a really funny guy. He’s able to bring some humor to the group. At the same time, he’s very competitive. So, he’s impacting the group in a lot of different ways.”
On the Tommy John recovery timetable, Vasil will miss all of this season and a portion of the next one. He revealed a small scar on the inside of his right elbow from the surgery and said he’s only about six weeks out. The actual rehab has yet to even begin.
Yet, he will remain with the team, on the road and at home where the Sox open a nine-game homestand against the Mariners, Royals and Cubs on Friday.
“For now, that’s the plan,” Venable said.
