The White Sox can't catch a break behind the plate, literally. Kyle Teel hurt his left ankle trying to apply a tag in the second inning of Chicago's 10-3 win over the Rangers on July 20, and he had to be helped off the field putting no weight on it. Manager Will Venable said afterward an IL stint is likely, and MLB Trade Rumors confirmed the corresponding move Tuesday.
MLB Trade Rumors flagged the corresponding roster move as Chicago places its catcher on the injured list.
White Sox place their catcher on the IL. https://t.co/Um9xlb4TnS
This isn't a one-off. Teel has now been banged up 3 separate times this season, first with a Grade 2 hamstring strain that cost him time during the World Baseball Classic window, then a sprained right LCL suffered during a rehab game in May, and now this ankle injury less than a month after his June 22 return. Drew Romo stepped in behind the plate once Teel exited Monday, and Edgar Quero, the only other catcher on the 40-man roster, is being recalled from Triple-A Charlotte to cover the gap.
The bigger problem for a White Sox team sitting atop the AL Central is that this keeps happening at the worst possible time. With the Aug. 3 trade deadline bearing down, a catching spot that's already been shaky offensively now has its top option shelved again, and that's not a great look for a club trying to make a real push.
Reports out of the rumor mill have already connected the White Sox to Ryan Jeffers as one of the best catchers who could be available before the deadline, and this latest injury only adds urgency to that pursuit. Chicago doesn't have the luxury of hoping Teel's ankle heals in time to matter down the stretch.
For now it's Romo and Quero holding down the position while the front office figures out whether to go get reinforcements. Given how many times Teel has cycled through the injured list this year, banking on him as the long-term answer behind the plate for a contending club feels like a bet the White Sox can't afford to keep making.