The White Sox traded for Joey Bart before the deadline to solve a catching problem. Instead, they've got a bigger one. Bart fractured the fifth metacarpal in his left hand after getting drilled by a 98 mph fastball, according to MLB Trade Rumors, and an injured list stint now looks inevitable.
The timing is brutal. Chicago acquired Bart from the Braves right before the trade deadline specifically to shore up the position while starter Kyle Teel worked his way back from a high ankle sprain. Bart made it all of 3 games with his new club before his season, or at least a chunk of it, got put on hold.
Drew Romo came in to run and finish behind the plate the night it happened, and he'll keep catching in the short term. The bigger move is Chicago recalling Edgar Quero from Triple-A Charlotte to share duties with Romo, a bit of irony since Quero had just been optioned down on Tuesday, right when Bart arrived via trade. Now he's right back in the majors because of it.
Teel himself isn't expected back until early September, which leaves the White Sox running a patchwork catching rotation for at least a few weeks with Romo and Quero splitting time. It's not the plan Chicago had when it made the deadline deal, but injuries don't care about roster math.
For fantasy purposes, Bart's stock was already thin given his limited playing time, and this injury pushes him further off the radar until there's clarity on whether surgery is needed. Whatever answer comes back, the White Sox now have to navigate the rest of the season without the guy they just traded for to fix this exact spot.