Joey Bart’s night in Boston ended in a hurry Thursday, and the White Sox are now bracing for a significant absence behind the plate.
The newly acquired catcher was forced out of the game after taking a pitch off his left hand, and Chicago is describing the injury as a fifth metacarpal fracture. He’s still being further evaluated.
The injury came in the top of the seventh inning, in Bart’s fourth trip to the plate. It was already a rough night: he had been hit by a pitch earlier in the second inning, then took another blow from Erik Miller on a 98 mph four-seamer during a checked swing.
Bart immediately showed obvious pain as he made his way to first, then was checked by the training staff before leaving after a brief conversation. Drew Romo came in as his replacement.
Bart was brought to Chicago in a trade that sent right-hander Duncan Davitt to Atlanta, with the expectation that he would provide an experienced, right-handed bat behind the plate while Kyle Teel works back from an ankle injury. Now the White Sox may have to lean again on Edgar Quero, with Bart likely facing several weeks out.
The 29-year-old came into the league with plenty of buzz after the Giants took him second overall in the 2018 MLB Draft, though he never quite locked in as Buster Posey’s long-term successor in San Francisco. He later got his career moving again with Pittsburgh in 2024, hitting .265/.337/.462 with 13 home runs and 45 RBIs in 80 games before splitting time with the Pirates and Braves in 2026.
At the plate this season, Bart entered Thursday hitting .218/.298/.365 with four homers, 13 RBIs and a .662 OPS across 110 at-bats. He also missed time earlier with a left foot infection.
Defensively, Bart brings a strong arm and has shown he can handle the running game. His pitch framing has generally come in below average, though he has been above-average on ABS challenges, successfully overturning 62% of them.
Chicago is on the hook for $2.53 million in 2026, and Bart remains under club control through the 2027 season, which gives the White Sox another controllable piece - once he’s healthy again.
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