White Sox catching corps takes major hit with Kyle Teel’s absence

Posted July 22, 2026 10:23 am

By Johnny Flores Jr.

Having just returned Kyle Teel from the 60-day IL a month ago, the Chicago White Sox must again contend with his absence after the second-year backstop was placed on the 15-day IL with a left ankle sprain Tuesday.

His timeline to return, according to manager Will Venable, could be anywhere from six to 12 weeks. Six weeks from today puts Teel back on Sept. 1. Any longer than that, and Teel’s availability for the regular season, and potentially the postseason, will be in jeopardy.

“Twisted around to go get the ball (and) put a tag down,” Teel told reporters. “Felt like I made contact with somebody and I didn’t. It just felt like I got hit in the leg with something, hit in the ankle.

“I tried to get up. It just didn’t feel good.”

The injury, a high ankle sprain, occurred in the second inning of Chicago’s 10-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Monday. Following Ezequiel Duran’s one-out double, Evan Carter laced a single to right field, creating a play at the plate.

Right fielder Braden Montgomery fired the ball home, and Teel twisted to his left to receive it and attempt to tag out Duran. As he twisted, his left ankle was firmly planted at home plate before his body finally gave way. Duran was safe, and Teel couldn’t rise to his feet and eventually left the game with the help of a trainer and Venable, unable to put any weight on his leg.

It is the third lower-half injury Teel has suffered this season.

Earlier this year, during the World Baseball Classic tournament in March, Teel injured his right hamstring attempting to leg out a double in Team Italy’s upset win over Team USA. As he worked his way back from injury, Teel suffered a setback, this time a sprained lateral collateral ligament (LCL) in that same right knee.

Teel attributed the injury to his metal spikes becoming stuck in the dirt during a swing. That forced him to switch to plastic cleats, calling them “a little safer.”

Before his injury, Teel was slashing .190 /.271 /.317 with two home runs and 14 RBI over his first 14 games. His .589 OPS is a far cry from the .786 he put up in 78 games for the White Sox as a rookie in 2025.

“I felt like as I played, as I got more at-bats, I started to settle in,” Teel said. “I felt like I was improving every day and I felt like I was just getting my feet under me and I was just getting started.”

No team in MLB has received less from its backstops than Chicago. The AL Central-leading White Sox have received -0.9 fWAR from their catchers to date, and that trend is likely to continue as the White Sox recalled Edgar Quero from Triple A to replace Teel.

Teel’s return was meant to jump-start the unit while also providing more offense to a club that has found itself contending for a playoff spot following three straight 100-loss seasons. Instead, the White Sox will potentially have to look elsewhere to fill Teel’s void.

With the Aug. 3 trade deadline rapidly approaching, Chicago could turn to the market to find a suitable replacement, though it might not be easy. Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers figures to be available, though whether the Twins would entertain an in-division trade remains to be seen. If the Mets continue to bottom out, backup catcher Luis Torrens could be available, as could one-time top prospect Francisco Alvarez. Elsewhere, the Reds could make Tyler Stephenson available, but he’s unlikely to offer much offensively.

The White Sox will also have to gauge Teel’s future availability and their own long-term prospects. The headliner of the return package the Red Sox sent to Chicago in exchange for Garrett Crochet, Teel won’t be a free agent until 2032.