The White Sox will be without one of their catchers to start the season.
GM Chris Getz told reporters on Wednesday that Kyle Teel suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain in Tuesday night’s World Baseball Classic game. He could miss roughly 4-6 weeks as a result, putting a potential return somewhere around mid-to-late April.
Teel’s injury occurred during the top of the sixth inning in Italy’s WBC contest against the United States. After doubling down the right field line, he could be seen grimacing and slightly pulling up as he rounded first base. Though he still hustled his way to second, the White Sox catcher immediately slammed the ground in frustration, and subsequently walked off the field under his own power.
It was a disappointing turn of events in a game where the White Sox youngsters set the tone earlier. Teel and infielder Sam Antonacci combined for a pair of home runs in the 2nd inning, giving Italy an early 3-0 lead. The two would continue to make an impact, scoring a combined four times in the 8-6 upset win over a loaded United States team.
Though Teel’s absence is one the White Sox would rather do without, their catching depth keeps them in a good position. Both Edgar Quero and Korey Lee have turned in decent springs thus far, and each figure to split catching duties in the interim. With Lee out of options, the early stretch could also prove to be an important one as he looks to show his worth and potentially raise his trade value. Once Teel returns, the Sox could see if Lee has any interested suitors for the right price.
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