With 22 games left in their unlikely pursuit of an American League Central title, the White Sox are getting their starting catcher back.
Kyle Teel, limited to just 19 games this season due to a right hamstring strain, a right knee sprain and most recently, a left ankle sprain, was activated off the injured list ahead of Friday’s game against the Twins.
Drew Romo was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte to make room for Teel on the active roster, but will remain in Chicago with the team as a “taxi squad” player, ready to be activated if needed. Despite hitting .141/.239/.288 on the year, the 25-year-old Romo has appeared in 60 games this year on the strength of his defense and pitching management, with the Sox recently choosing to keep him over former top prospect Edgar Quero, who looks likely to finish the season with Triple-A Charlotte.
Recently acquired veteran backup Jake Rogers is just 4-for-30 at the plate since being picked up off waivers on Aug. 14. But he maintains a strong defensive reputation and as a career .216/.298/.452 hitter against left-handed pitching, Rogers is a more natural platoon partner for the left-handed hitting Teel, and will remain on the active roster. Joey Bart looked primed to assume temporary starting catcher duties when the White Sox acquired him from the Braves at the Aug. 3 trade deadline, but he remains sidelined by a fracture in his left hand caused by a hit-by-pitch suffered in just his third game with the club.
Not making his season debut until late June, Teel’s bat did not get going (.190/.271/.317) in the brief window he was active this season, and he struggled with blocking pitches on defense. But after he hit .273/.375/.411 as a 23-year-old in his rookie season last year, combined with the coaching staff’s view of his pitch-framing potential and Quero’s struggles on both sides of the ball, Teel’s place as the team’s long-term starting catcher has remained relatively stable.
At 73-67, the White Sox maintain a three-game lead in the AL Central despite receiving the least offensive contributions from the catching position to date (.529 OPS) of all 30 MLB teams.