Pro baseball: White promoted by White Sox

Published 10:36 pm Thursday, June 5, 2025

Staff report

Owen White (Carson) got the call to return to MLB on Thursday.

White, a 25-year-old right-hander who has been pitching for the Charlotte Knights, was promoted by the Chicago White Sox. He could be in action as early as Friday.

White didn’t have overwhelming success with the Knights (0-5, 5.24 ERA), but he usually was able to give them decent starts. He last pitched on May 30. The White Sox just put a starting pitcher on the IL, but White’s most likely role will be as a “bulk” reliever, pitching two or three innings at a time.

White has been in the big leagues before, pitching in five games for the Texas Rangers.

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Austin Love (West Rowan) continues to do well for Double-A Springfield.

The St. Louis Cardinals prospect is a 26-year-old right-handed reliever who starred at UNC. He’s making a comeback from Tommy John surgery.

Love is 1-0 in 13 appearances with one save and a 3.12 ERA. He pitched two hitless innings in his last outing.

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Cobb Hightower (East Rowan) has been sidelined for a couple of weeks by knee issues, a bone chip and tendinitis.

He’s not likely to be 100 percent all season, but the San Diego Padres prospect could return to action as early as next week.

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Vance Honeycutt (Salisbury) made a leaping catch at the center-field fence for the Advanced Class-A Abderdeen IronBirds on Wednesday.

Baltimore’s first-round draft pick last summer, Honeycutt is batting .209 after 46 games with two homers, six doubles, four triples, 25 walks and 11 RBIs. He’s stolen 18 bases in 19 attempts.

The negative stat has been 71 strikeouts.

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UNC center fielder Kane Kepley (South Rowan) looks like a sure bet to be drafted in July in the first 100 picks. Kepley, a junior, has been terrific for the Tar Heels as far as on-base percentage, base-stealing and defense.

The other local player who could be drafted early is A.L. Brown High fireballer CJ Gray, who has thrown 98s. Gray is an N.C. State signee.

The MLB Draft will be held in Atlanta on July 13-14, as part of the All-Star week.

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Haiden Leffew (South Rowan) is headed to the Cape Cod Baseball League again this summer after a successful sophomore season at Wake Forest. Leffew will be pitching for a different team than last summer. He’ll be with the Brewster Whitecaps.

The lefty will be a potential draft pick in 2026.