Kyle Teel’s bat has given the Chicago White Sox a lift since he came back from a high-ankle sprain on Sept. 4, and the numbers since his return point to a catcher finally finding a groove.
Sam Phalen of Roundtable Sports noted on X that Teel has posted an .853 OPS since the White Sox activated him from the injured list. In September, Teel has put together a .207 batting average, .395 on-base percentage and .448 slugging percentage, with two home runs, six RBIs, one double and nine walks across 38 plate appearances.
The overall 2026 line still reflects how much time he’s missed. Teel is hitting .196/.315/.359 with a .674 OPS in 108 plate appearances over 31 games during an injury-plagued season. But when he was healthy as a rookie in 2025, he showed more of the offensive profile Chicago wants to see, batting .273/.375/.411 with a .786 OPS, eight homers and 35 RBIs in 78 games and 297 plate appearances.
That matters for a White Sox offense that has been potent for most of 2026. It matters even more at catcher, where the production has lagged badly.
White Sox catchers are hitting .168/.266/.275 with a .541 OPS, 15 home runs and 60 RBIs in 585 plate appearances this season, and the position group sits last in 2026 with a minus-2.9 wins above replacement. Teel is the only regular White Sox catcher this year with a positive WAR, sitting at 0.4.
Phalen argued Teel should be getting more chances against left-handed pitching, writing: “Really wish the #WhiteSox would let Kyle Teel play more against LHP.
- Teel has an .853 OPS since returning from the IL
- The ABs would help his development
- Jake Rogers is hitting .111 since joining the team
Would make sense to sit him if you had a better option. You don’t.”
With Teel sidelined for much of 2026, the White Sox have leaned on a catcher-by-committee approach and used five other catchers. Edgar Quero, who was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday, has played the most games among White Sox catchers with 69. He has hit .203/.284/.257 with a .540 OPS, three homers and 19 RBIs this season.
Now with nine games left in the regular season entering Friday night, Chicago is expected to keep rolling with Teel and Jake Rogers behind the plate. Rogers, who joined the White Sox in August, has struggled in 18 games with a .103/.239/.179 slash line, a .419 OPS, one home run and three RBIs.
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