As reporters sat in the White Sox’ dugout waiting for manager Will Venable to speak Tuesday, injured catcher Kyle Teel emerged from the tunnel connected to the clubhouse dressed in full gear: mask, chest protector and shin guards. He was only eight days removed from suffering a high sprain of his left ankle and had been seen wearing a walking boot the night before.
Was this a miraculous recovery from an injury that’s expected to shelve Teel for six to 12 weeks?
As it turned out, no, it wasn’t. As Teel walked past the assembled media, his walking boot became visible after being hidden by the shin guard. But it was a sight not seen before. Oblivious to the watchful eyes, Teel walked through the dugout and headed to the bullpen, where he caught light baseballs while seated or kneeling in an effort to stay sharp.
“I wasn’t aware that was part of the plan today,” Venable said. “If [trainer James Kruk] is OK with it, I’m sure it’s fine.”
Venable said that nothing has changed regarding Teel’s timetable and that he hasn’t done any baseball activities since the injury — at least until Tuesday.
“That’s the first,” Venable said. “He’s been really stationary to this point.”
It’s evidence of Teel’s work ethic and perhaps his FOMO (fear of missing out, for those unfamiliar with the acronym). But the Sox don’t want him pushing his limits.
“There’s always that back and forth between the player and the training staff,” Venable said. “Really a collaboration in trying to figure out what’s the right amount to push or when and how to go about it. Unfortunately with these injuries, he’s learning how to go about his treatment and handle it the right way.
“No update other than Kyle is going about this with a really positive attitude and doing a great job of getting his work in. And obviously with a boot on, still finding ways to get work in and get his treatment in, as well.”
Maddon’s influence
Venable learned a lot as a base coach under former Cubs manager Joe Maddon from 2018 to 2020. One of those lessons was to have few team meetings. But as the Sox’ manager, Venable has put his own spin on it, hosting what he calls “state of the Sox” meetings monthly.
“I address the team, and we just open the floor to talk about things,” Venable said. “That’s the time where if there are broader issues to discuss, we’ll talk about those things.
“Joe Maddon would meet with the team three times a year; would never ever do other kinds of meetings. There’s something about that that I liked. Not rigid about it, but just want to have a routine that they know we’re going to get together and talk.”
One topic at the next meeting might be the trade deadline, which is at 5 p.m. Monday. That can be a distraction for everyone and could be worth discussing.
“Rarely do the players have stuff. It happens every once in a while,” Venable said. “It’s in the spirit of being proactive and not having a team meeting in response to a thing and just creating a platform for guys if they have something. They haven’t been that heavy, to be honest.”
Challenging challenges
When the Sox used — and lost — both of their pitch challenges in the first inning Sunday, Steve Stone offered biting analysis on the Chicago Sports Network broadcast: “Not a great plan.”
Indeed not. But Venable doesn’t want the Sox leaving a game with unused challenges. He wants his players to be aggressive with them. How aggressive is still being determined.
“It’s been real challenging to find the right tone and guidelines to put in place,” Venable said. “You want to support and empower them to use this as a tool that can help swing an at-bat, can swing a game. And at the same time, there’s times where it’s not great to challenge if you’re not sure.”