Kyle Teel left the White Sox game at Texas on Monday after suffering an apparent left ankle injury in the second inning, turning what had been a routine series opener into a concern for Chicago’s catching depth. He was helped off the field by Will Venable and Sox trainer James Kruk after going down while trying to make a tag at home.
Teel was in visible pain after diving to his left in an attempt to tag out Ezequiel Duran, and he appeared unable to put any pressure on his left leg after the scoring play. Drew Romo replaced him, and the change came with more than the game at stake because Teel had already missed most of the first three months of the season with hamstring and knee injuries before returning from the injured list on June 22.
The timing makes this one harder to shrug off. Venable had said over the weekend that Teel was getting into his rhythm and into his form, and he had also called him arguably the Sox's best player. That was before Monday's injury, which came just as Teel seemed to be settling back in after months away. If the ankle issue keeps him out, the White Sox lose the catcher who had been giving them a defensive upgrade over Drew Romo at the exact moment they need stability behind the plate.
There is also a roster problem waiting in the background. Edgar Quero has posted a.594 OPS over the past month at Triple-A Charlotte, which means the obvious fallback option is not exactly forcing the door open. If Teel's injury is anything beyond a short-term scare, it likely pushes the catcher position onto Chris Getz's wish list before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. For now, the only clear answer is that the White Sox pulled one of their most important players from the field and do not yet know how long they will have to live without him.
