Wikelman González makes MLB debut in relief as White Sox take Toronto opener
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TORONTO -- Two vastly different roads to the Majors converged in the White Sox clubhouse.
On the heels of a 19-inning doubleheader and with injuries to a pair of key arms in their pitching staff, the White Sox called up right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez from Triple-A Charlotte and selected the contract of lefty Jake Palisch from Double-A Birmingham ahead of Friday night’s 7-1 win over the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
The moves came along with the placement of starter Davis Martin (right forearm strain) and reliever Cam Booser (left shoulder strain) on the injured list -- two blows to the pitching staff that opened a window into Chicago’s future.
González (No. 15 White Sox prospect) held his own in his first big league test, entering in the seventh to hand in two innings of one-run ball with two walks, one hit and two strikeouts.
From the bullpen, Palisch -- an undrafted signing who’s spent four years in the White Sox system -- watched and waited his turn. It shouldn’t be too long, though. Manager Will Venable said ahead of the win that the reliever-turned-starter is expected to pitch in a bulk role for Chicago. With two more injuries to the pitching staff, there will be plenty of innings to cover in the near future.