The White Sox 6-2 victory over the Giants on Wednesday served as a bit of redemption for rookie left-hander Fraser Ellard.
Ellard’s MLB career got off to a rough start. The 26-year-old made his MLB debut back on July 30 against the Royals and was immediately thrown into a high-leverage situation. Former White Sox manager Pedro Grifol called upon the rookie to protect a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning even though Ellard had yet to throw a pitch at the MLB level. If the pressure of making your big league debut wasn’t enough, Ellard also had the weight of a 16-game losing streak that the White Sox were desperate to snap in his hands.
Predictably things did not go well. Ellard walked the first batter he faced. A wild pitch followed the walk. Ellard finally logged the first out of his career by getting Garrett Hampson to fly out to right field. That would be the only out Ellard would record on the night. He followed that up with another walk before he was lifted from the game. Both base runners came around to score, the White Sox went on to lose 4-3 and Ellard was tagged with the loss.
Ellard was given another opportunity the following night and struck out the only two batters he faced in the ninth inning of a 10-2 blowout. But his opportunities have been limited ever since. Ellard is currently the only southpaw in the White Sox bullpen and has posted a 4.50 ERA in six innings of work.
Wednesday’s game marked just his seventh appearance on the season. With the score tied 2-2 and the White Sox desperate to avoid a sweep, the former 8th-round pick out of Liberty was once again given the ball in the eighth inning. Things went much better this time around.
Ellard made his presence felt early, striking out Grant McCray with an 86 mph slider. He then got Tyler Fitzgerald to chase a backdoor cutter for back-to-back strikeouts. Ellard completed the perfect inning by coaxing a Mark Cahana flyout out to right field. That 1-2-3 inning turned into Ellards first big league win after the White Sox offense erupted for four runs in the top of the ninth.
“These guys are awesome putting in the work every day,” Ellard told reporters after the game. “I’m glad that I could play a small part in getting this win.”
It was a rare feel-good moment for a bullpen that has been unreliable for most of the season. Four White Sox relievers combined to throw five scoreless innings while limiting the Giants to just two baserunners.
Every appearance is an audition for Ellard, who is hoping to become a regular in the White Sox bullpen next season. After signing with the organization in 2021 he has slowly worked his way through the White Sox farm system. In 2022 he did not allow a home run to a left-handed hitter and tossed 30 scoreless innings between High-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham.
Unfortunately, injuries derailed his 2023 season. He began the year on the IL with a left elbow injury. Then was placed on the IL once again in May with left shoulder inflammation. After returning to the Arizona Complex League in July he made his third trip to the IL on August 1st. He finished the season with a 7.45 ERA in 19 appearances for Birmingham.
His minor-league numbers certainly don’t jump off the page. But one of the few perks of being on a historically bad team is opportunities for players who might not otherwise be given one. In a depleted White Sox bullpen, Ellard has been allowed to showcase his ability at the MLB level and the White Sox 30th-ranked prospect is trying to make the most of it.
