Tanner McDougal: Everything you need to know

McDougal was removed from his start Wednesday with Triple-A Charlotte after one inning due to right forearm tightness, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports. McDougal needed only 13 pitches to complete a perfect opening frame, but he was injured while warming up before the second inning and was removed. The right-hander will undergo further testing before more is known about his condition. McDougal holds a 3.00 ERA and 27:13 K:BB over 24 innings in the early going at Charlotte. He had been knocking on the door for a promotion to the majors prior to suffering the injury.

McDougal has a 2.40 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 19:9 K:BB in 15 innings through three starts for Triple-A Charlotte. The 23-year-old McDougal is making his Triple-A debut this year, and after walking four batters in each of his first two starts, he struck out eight while walking just one over six innings in his most recent start against Memphis. The hard-throwing righty could get the call to the majors in the coming weeks if he keeps the walks in check.

The White Sox optioned McDougal to Triple-A Charlotte on Saturday. McDougal was awarded with a spot on the White Sox's 40-man roster over the offseason after posting a 3.26 ERA and 1.33 WHIP over 113.1 total innings between High-A and Double-A in 2025. The 22-year-old will be elevated to Triple-A to begin the regular season and could make his MLB debut sometime this year if he continues to pitch well.