Despite reaching the end of his initial recovery window, there’s still no clear timeline for Kyle Teel‘s return.
The White Sox catcher, who is recovering from a hamstring strain suffered during the World Baseball Classic, was initially expected to begin a rehab assignment this week. However, CHSN’s Connor McKnight reported during last weekend’s Athletics series that running remains an issue, prompting the team to pause those plans.
“He’s been out for a while now,” GM Chris Getz told MLB.com’s Scott Merkin on Friday. “He missed a chunk of Spring Training and all the regular season so far. So, you want some at-bats, you want him to experience the different nuances in every game: behind the plate, baserunning, and certainly the at-bats as well.
“So, I don’t have a finite number on the amount of at-bats or the amount of games. You read the situation, take his feedback, take the coaches’ feedback and take it from there.”
While Teel was able to resume catching duties shortly after the injury, progress on the bases appears to be the key remaining obstacle. Getz added that the catcher had a positive day on Thursday as the team continues to test his hamstring, but Teel has yet to clear the required threshold to return to game action.
Teel suffered his injury in Italy’s WBC matchup against the United States on March 10. After doubling down the right-field line, he appeared to grimace and pull up while rounding first base. Though he made his way to second, the New Jersey native slammed the ground in frustration before walking off under his own power.
The original 4–6 week prognosis has come and gone, with April 21 marking the six-week point. In the meantime, the White Sox have searched for answers behind the plate, turning primarily to Edgar Quero, along with Reese McGuire and Drew Romo. With McGuire designated for assignment on Saturday, the focus shifts to Quero finding consistency at the plate while improving defensively, and seeing whether Romo’s success in Triple-A can finally carry over to the majors.
As for Teel, the organization will proceed on a day-by-day basis and see how he feels throughout next week.
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