A dismal season for the White Sox has received even more bad news.
Major League Baseball announced Friday that White Sox minor league pitcher Christian Edwards has been suspended 80 games for testing positive for Boldenone, a prohibited performance-enhancing substance.
Edwards is with the team’s Single-A affiliate, the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers.
In 17 games, Edwards had a 4.02 ERA, striking out 17 but walking 18 in 15.2 innings pitched.
The righty was selected by the White Sox out of Jacksonville State in the 11th round of the 2021 MLB Draft.
The Cannon Ballers only have 67 games left on their 2024 schedule, meaning Edwards won’t be eligible to return this year and will have to forgo 13 games in 2025.
At the major league level, Chicago is entrenched in one of the worst years in recent baseball memory.
The White Sox entered play Friday just 20-56, easily the lowest winning percentage in MLB.
The organization lost an incomprehensible 14 straight games in June, establishing a new team record, and has a run differential of -158, far and away the worst.
The White Sox became the 17th team in MLB history to win 20 or fewer of their first 76 contests.
Chicago’s horrific winning rate could very well drop further after the Trade Deadline when the team is expected to ship pieces like starter Garrett Crochet and outfielder Tommy Pham.
Exacerbating the situation on the South Side is that the team’s farm system doesn’t leave much room for solace.
The White Sox’s minor league organizations collectively ranked just 20th on MLB’s preseason list.
Shortstop Colson Montgomery, who started 2024 as the No. 9 prospect in the league, is hitting just .218 and striking out over 29 percent of the time.
Then again, the team could land long-term assets in mid-to-late July.