He caught the white Sox Kyle Teel he left early for tonight’s game at Texas. Chicago announced that he will be evaluated for a left ankle injury. They did not provide any additional details, but Franchys Romero reports that the Sox are recalling Edgar Quero from Triple-A Charlotte.
The Sox could raise Quero as a third baseman and potential outfielder Junior Perez when they hear that Teel will need to miss a few days. The injury list will unfortunately appear to be more likely, as it was a non-contact injury and Teel was unable to bear weight on his leg coming off the field. He apparently fixed it trying to dive back to the other side to get the diving out Ezequiel Duran on throwing from right field.
Former first-round pick and title of Garrett Crochet returning, Teel hit .273/.375/.411 in his first 78 MLB games last year. His second season as a major leaguer has been very frustrating for him. Teel strained his right hamstring while playing for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic. That forced him to start the season on the injured list.
The Virginia product sprained the LCL in his right knee while on a rehab assignment in May, delaying his return for another month. Teel has played in 19 games since being reinstated on June 22. He got off to a slow start, making 27 of his first 70 plate appearances while hitting .190 with two home runs.
Except for a few games from Reese McGuire in April, the Sox used Quero again Drew Romo holding the tandem while Teel was away. That will be a pairing again if he returns to the injured list. Neither team got worse production from their catchers. Sox catchers are dead last in batting average (.165) and on-base percentage (.243), and their .267 slugging percentage is 29th in MLB – slightly above the Yankees team that is exploring the trade market for upgrades.
Catcher wasn’t expected to be needed by the Sox, who were hoping Teel would find a bad rhythm as he came back from an early season injury. It’s too early to say whether the ankle problem will affect their playoff plans. If Teel were to face an extended absence, the Sox could look to trade an inexpensive rental or top backup type as they try to maintain their impressive lead in the AL Central.
Romo went on to hit a home run in the morning after being called up but is hitting .117 with one homer in his last 25 games. He’s been a below-average hitter in his minor league career and didn’t come off waivers last season. Quero, who was highly regarded before, has terrible metrics and is hitting .245/.309/.320 in 166 games over the past two seasons. He has hit .230 with a .295 OBP in 15 Triple-A games since being selected when Teel came off the injured list.
Chicago also announced that stoppage Colson Montgomery left the game with a right shin strain. He is moving day by day, and it is not clear if he will need further tests. Montgomery fouled the ball on his leg in the seventh inning. He finished the at-bat but was lifted Luisangel Acuña as a substitute for defense in the lower half.
