Kyle Teel leaves game with left ankle injury

Teel told reporters afterwards that it was his first time hitting since landing on the injured list with a high ankle sprain back in late July. The 24-year-old backstop was given a 6-12 week return timetable, which puts him back in Chicago at some pint in early-to-mid September, if everything goes according to plan with his rehabilitation process.

Venable classified it as a broad range, but it sounds like Teel will be out until at least early September and there’s a possibility he’s done for the remainder of the regular season. The 24-year-old backstop was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain after suffering the injury on a play at home plate during Monday’s game against the Rangers. It’ll be Drew Romo and Edgar Quero handling the catching duties in his absence. It would probably make sense for Chicago to pursue a temporary veteran stopgap at the trade deadline based on this latest development.

It’s the third leg injury that Teel has suffered this year, joining the hamstring strain he sustained in the World Baseball Classic and the knee injury that came about while on a rehab assignment in May. He’d hit .190/.271/.317 in 19 games since returning in June. Drew Romo and Edgar Quero will resume sharing the catcher role in Chicago.

Teel was replaced by Drew Romo behind the dish after needing assistance to leave the field following a play at the plate in the second inning. It’s a bit unclear what exactly happened because there wasn’t a collision, but Teel appeared to injure his left leg while stretching to attempt to tag out Ezequiel Duran on the play. There should be an additional update on his status shortly.

With 14 RBI in his 15 starts since coming off the injured list, Teel is timing his hits well. However, he’s batting just .198/.275/.323 with a 39 percent strikeout rate through 69 plate appearances. His bat speed is actually well up from last year, but if, as the numbers suggest, he’s sacrificing contact to make that happen, it’s might not be worth it.

Antonacci takes a seat following 10 consecutive starts in left field since June 19. The 23-year-old rookie has settled in nicely as Chicago’s top-of-the-order table-setter, hitting .291/.391/.413 with 43 runs scored, four homers, 22 RBI and 11 steals in 263 plate appearances through 65 games. He’s definitely lived up to fantasy managers’ most optimistic projections. It’ll be Kyle Teel moving up to the leadoff spot with Junior Perez in left field on Tuesday night.

Teel started at catcher and went 0-for-4 out of the cleanup spot in his season debut at Rate Field on Monday night. The 24-year-old backstop missed nearly three months to open the season after suffering a serious hamstring injury during the World Baseball Classic back in March. His return was delayed even further by a knee sprain that he suffered during his rehabilitation process. He’ll slot into the heart of Chicago’s lineup and is worthy of a roster spot in most fantasy leagues based on his offensive upside. Drew Romo is behind the plate on Tuesday evening.

Teel looks set to make his season debut with the White Sox. The 24-year-old hurt his hamstring in the World Baseball Classic and then suffered a knee sprain in May that sidelined him even longer. Teel hit .273/.375/.411 in 78 games as a rookie last season with eight home runs and 35 RBI. He can be added in most leagues if you need a catcher, but he’s probably a fringe option in shallower one-catcher formats.

Teel’s return to Chicago’s catching mix appears imminent after a monster performance at the dish while also handling all nine innings behind the dish during his latest rehab contest. The 24-year-old backstop has been snake-bitten by injuries this season, missing the first three months due to hamstring and knee issues. He figures to rejoin the upstart White Sox for his season debut at some point this weekend.

Teel was close to making it back from a hamstring strain that he suffered during the World Baseball Classic before suffering an LCL sprain last month that knocked him out for a couple weeks. He’ll likely remain in the minors through the rest of the week, but has a chance to make it back to Chicago before the end of June for his long-overdue season debut.