Kyle Teel is headed back into game action, and the White Sox are giving their starting catcher another shot at getting right.
The club announced Sunday that Teel will begin a rehab assignment with the Charlotte Knights when the affiliate plays next on Tuesday. The move came after Teel was able to run the bases without any issues before the White Sox wrapped up their series against the Mets.
Teel, 24, has had a brutal run of injuries this season. His year started on hold after a right hamstring strain on March 10 while he was playing for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic. Then, while on his first rehab assignment, he picked up a sprained lateral collateral ligament in his right knee on May 16 and was moved to the 60-day injured list three days later.
He finally made his season debut on June 22, but the offensive production never really got rolling. In just under a month of games, Teel hit .190/.271/.317 with two home runs and 14 RBI.
Before he could build on that stretch, he was hit with another setback on July 20 against the Rangers, leaving the game after a non-contact leg injury when he twisted his body trying to get the sliding runner. He had to be helped off the field, and the injury was later diagnosed as a left ankle sprain.
At the time, an early September return still looked realistic.
Since Teel went down, the White Sox have kept piecing things together behind the plate. Drew Romo has handled much of the load, first with Edgar Quero and later after the team brought in Joey Bart at the trade deadline.
Bart’s time in Chicago was over almost as soon as it began, though, after he was hit by a pitch and suffered a fractured fifth metacarpal in just his third game. More recently, veteran Jake Rogers joined the mix and delivered in a big moment Friday night as the White Sox picked up their 10th walk-off win of the season.
Even with those individual flashes, catcher has been a mess for a White Sox team that expected more stability there when the season began. With one week left before the calendar turns to September, the hope is that Teel can finally stay on the field and give the White Sox something steadier behind the plate as they keep pushing toward their first AL Central title since 2021.
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