Chicago White Sox Lose Top Prospect to Arm Injury, More Information Coming

Berroa was not a lock to make the Sox 'pen out of spring training but given that there's so much uncertainty on the roster, he was going to be given a good opportunity to do so. Mariners' brass often compared him to Edwin Diaz, who began his career as a starter before transitioning to a dynamite reliever. They had hoped he could be the same thing.

Berroa enters the season as the No. 16 prospect in the Chicago organization. The following comes from a portion of his MLB.com prospect profile:

Though he's far from physically imposing at 5-foot-11, Berroa can overmatch hitters with a pair of power pitches. He throws his upper-80s slider about 60 percent of the time, and it gets a lot of empty swings and chases while showing tight break at times and more depth at others. His four-seam fastball sits at 95-98 and touches 100 with armside run, though it can straighten out at times and get hittable.

Berroa struggled as a starter because he lacked feel for a changeup he since has scrapped and struggled to provide consistent strikes. He still battles the zone because he has an effortful delivery that he struggles to repeat. He should claim a role in Chicago's bullpen this year, and how much he can improve his control will determine if he'll eventually reach his ceiling as a closer.