White Sox: Southpaw switch

Tyler Gilbert activated from IL, Brandon Eisert demoted to Charlotte

It’s a simple switch, but not one guaranteed to change the fortunes of a beleaguered White Sox bullpen.

The White Sox used their off-day to shuttle lefty reliever Tyler Gilbert back from his injury rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Charlotte, reinstating him from the 15-day injured list. To make room for Gilbert on the active roster, the White Sox optioned struggling lefthander Brandon Eisert to the Knights.

The 31-year-old Gilbert has been on the injured list since Opening Day, March 27 (retroactive to March 23) with left knee bursitis. He came to the White Sox on New Year’s Day in exchange for 2024 eight-rounder and College World Series closer Aaron Combs, in a move that scratched plenty of heads.

Gilbert only threw two relief outings for the 6-3 Knights, with mixed results. His first, on April 3, was butter: two hitless, scoreless innings, with four Ks. The second, three days later? Uh-oh: two outs, three hits, two earned runs, one strikeout.

Gilbert had a phenomenal debut in 2021 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, pitching as a swingman and racking up 1.1 WAR in just nine games (six starts). Since 2023 he has been exclusively a reliever, and is essentially a replacement pitcher.

Eisert, 27, has pitched in three games with the White Sox in 2025, allowing four runs on six hits with five strikeouts in three innings, to total -0.2 WAR. His only previous MLB experience came with Toronto last season, also pitching in three games.

This move does not affect the 40-player roster, which remains at 39.