Chicago White Sox right-hander John Brebbia tossed a perfect inning to earn the save in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians. He needed just 14 pitches to retire all three batters he faced en route to his first save of the year. It was Brebbia's first save since 2018. Michael Kopech is Chicago's primary closer and had racked up back-to-back saves on Wednesday and Thursday. Despite having Friday off, White Sox manager Pedro Grifol opted to go with Brebbia over Kopech to protect a two-run lead in Saturday's game. Brebbia owns a 4.38 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and a 16:2 K: BB across 12 1/3 innings in 2024. Fantasy managers searching for saves can add Brebbia as a speculative add in deep-league formats.
Chicago White Sox relief pitcher John Brebbia (calf) is set to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Friday. The right-hander appears to be back on track after suffering a calf injury during a game two weeks ago. It's uncertain how many outings Brebbia will need before rejoining the big league bullpen. The assumption is that Brebbia should be back before or in early May. However, Brebbia is likely going to take a backseat to Michael Kopech who appears to be the primary closer in Chicago. Brebbia should still be used in high leverage spots, but probably won't offer the same fantasy value.
Chicago White Sox relief pitcher John Brebbia (calf), who exited last Friday's loss to the division-rival Kansas City Royals after he suffered a strained right calf, is not anticipating a long-term absence. Brebbia said on Tuesday that he was planning on throwing a bullpen later that day. "I'm throwing today, and throwing hasn't been impeded whatsoever. I feel days away from being able to pitch in a game, at worst," Brebbia said. The 33-year-old right-hander also dealt with a strained right calf that held him to two innings of spring ball. Brebbia has thrown 2 2/3 scoreless innings so far during his first season on the South Side and will be an option to close games upon his return, which could arrive when he's first eligible to be activated from the 15-day injured list on April 22. Former starter Michael Kopech is the favorite for saves for the ChiSox at the moment.
Chicago White Sox relief pitcher John Brebbia (calf) was placed on the 15-day injured list ahead of the team's matchup against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday. Brebbia last appeared in a game on Friday against the Kansas City Royals, when he left the contest after just seven pitches. The 33-year-old dealt with a similar calf issue during spring training, so it appears the right-hander might have re-aggravated it. He was off to a great start in 2024 with 2.2 scoreless innings thrown, but now he'll head to the IL. The move is retroactive to April 6, so the earliest he can return is next weekend. In his place, the White Sox called up Jared Shuster from Triple-A Charlotte.
John Brebbia Exits Friday's Game With Calf Soreness
Chicago White Sox relief pitcher John Brebbia (calf) exited early in the sixth inning of the White Sox 2-1 loss against the Kansas City Royals. Brebbia tweaked his calf fielding a ball and was removed shortly after. The 33-year-old injured his calf during spring training. Brebbia had gotten off to a great start with the White Sox, giving up just one hit in four appearances, and had yet to give up a run. There's no word on whether the right-hander will need to miss any time, and he should be considered day-to-day. Brebbia has been used in high-leverage situations and, even when healthy, is mainly an option in leagues that reward saves and holds.
Chicago White Sox right-hander John Brebbia (calf) went through fielding drills in camp on Wednesday after pitching an inning in a minor-league game on Tuesday. Brebbia strained his right calf during fielding drills in spring training in late February and is still working his way back from it. The 33-year-old is up in the air to be ready for Opening Day on March 28 next Thursday, putting strain an already extremely thin White Sox's bullpen. When healthy, the 33-year-old figures to be in the mix for saves chances in Chicago in 2024 alongside Steven Wilson, Michael Kopech and Jordan Leasure. However, with the acquisition of Wilson and Kopech's move from starter to reliever, Brebbia has become less interesting as a candidate for saves in Chicago's bullpen, especially since he's also hurt.
Chicago White Sox right-handed reliever John Brebbia (calf) is throwing live batting practice in camp on Wednesday. Brebbia suffered a right-calf strain early in camp and has not appeared in a Cactus League game yet because of it. However, the 33-year-old veteran is working his way back and could still be ready for Opening Day on March 28. When healthy, Brebbia has a chance to close out games for the White Sox this year, although he could have to share ninth-inning duties with the likes of Deivi Garcia, Jordan Leasure and Dominic Leone in a not-so-pretty closer-by-committee approach. Brebbia only has two career saves (back in 2018), although he pitched well out of the San Francisco Giants' bullpen the last two years, posting a 3.47 ERA and 1.26 WHIP with 32 walks and 101 K's in 106 1/3 innings.
Chicago White Sox relief pitcher John Brebbia (calf) said he strained his right calf walking back to the mound after moving toward first base on a grounder during a live batting practice session at camp the other day. Brebbia was able to finish the BP session and said his pitching is unaffected, even though he's now in a walking boot and rolling around on a scooter. He doesn't know exactly how long it will be before he's pitching in spring games, but he said the trainers estimated he'd miss a few weeks before he's back to full speed. The 33-year-old won't need as much time to get ready for the regular season because he's a reliever, but he's still going to be a candidate to open the year on the injured list. When healthy, he's the favorite to close games for the White Sox in 2024. If he opens the year on the IL, veterans Jesse Chavez and Bryan Shaw figure to factor into the ninth-inning mix.
Chicago White Sox relief pitcher John Brebbia (calf) suffered a right-calf strain in a live batting practice session that he threw on Wednesday. Manager Pedro Grifol said the team is hopeful Brebbia will be ready for Opening Day. An already weak White Sox's bullpen might have just lost their expected close for the start of the 2024 season, depending on how he bounces back from the injury over the next month. The 33-year-old right-hander posted a 3.99 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with 14 walks and 47 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings pitched. Brebbia has just two career saves (back in 2018) and will likely have a short leash in the closer's role in Chicago on a team that may not give him many save chances to begin with. If Brebbia's Opening Day availability is in question, veterans Jesse Chavez and Bryan Shaw could be in live for saves to open the season.
Free-agent relief pitcher John Brebbia is in agreement with the Chicago White Sox on a one-year, $5.5 million deal on Saturday, pending a physical. Brebbia comes to the White Sox after going 3-5 with a 3.99 ERA (3.93 FIP) and 1.17 WHIP with 14 walks and 47 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings pitched over 40 appearances (10 starts) for the San Francisco Giants in his third year with the team. The 33-year-old also missed some time last season due to a lat injury and wasn't very good upon his return. The White Sox are entering the 2024 campaign in a rebuilding phase, so Brebbia should see plenty of work in a thin Chicago bullpen as either a middle reliever or a setup man while also seeing a handful of "starts" as an opener. Fantasy managers can ignore him in the vast majority of leagues.
