Mike Pelfrey is a 33-year-old native of Wichita who began the 2017 baseball season on his third team in three years. Released by the Detroit Tigers on March 30, his career adrift after a series of mediocre years, Pelfrey signed with the White Sox on April 8 and returned to the American League Central, where he had formerly served as a yearly punching bag for Royals hitters.
In 2016, he surrendered 11 runs in 8 2/3 innings across three appearances against the Royals. In his career, he had posted a 6.51 ERA in nine outings against Kansas City.