Injury setbacks test Kyle Teel’s patience with White Sox

A knee ligament sprain has turned Kyle Teel’s comeback timetable into a waiting game, forcing the White Sox catcher to learn patience the hard way. His teammates are dealing with their own injuries, while manager Will Venable leans on Grant Taylor in late inni

Seattle — Kyle Teel thought he was finally getting close. Then his cleat caught in the batter’s box while he was swinging at Triple-A Charlotte over the weekend, and the rehab plan slid sideways again.

“This is the first time I’ve been injured in my career,” the frustrated White Sox catcher said after meeting his teammates in Seattle following the knee injury that derailed his rehab assignment from a pulled hamstring. “I’m learning as I go throughout this process.”

Teel described the tightrope he’s walking right now: wanting to move faster without rushing himself into another setback. “Patience is important. At the same time, being impatient in a way that’s trying to get back as fast as I can. So it’s the combo of those two variables,” he said.

The hamstring that Teel had pulled during the World Baseball Classic had already put his first big-league stretch within reach. putting him on the cusp of returning for the first time this season. But the weekend misstep in Triple-A cost him more time. It sprained a ligament in his right knee, setting him back an estimated three to six weeks.

It’s not just Teel waiting out the days. He’s been finding some comfort in the familiar presence of other Sox teammates working their way back. including recuperating cheerleaders traveling with the team — Mike Vasil. who is recovering from Tommy John surgery. and Tanner Murray. who is dealing with a fractured shoulder.

“I love these guys,” Teel said. “We have an unbelievable team and I’m so grateful to be a part of it in any way I can… I want to bring energy to the clubhouse, I want to bring energy during the games. And then when it’s time to go, I want to go and give it my all.”

That kind of message matters in a season where even small injuries can reshape everything. Teel is learning that lesson firsthand, one day at a time, while his return keeps getting pushed back.

While Teel worked through his own timeline. third baseman Miguel Vargas got an off day but was available off the bench Wednesday after he was hit in the right hand with a pitch late in Tuesday’s 2-1 win. X-rays revealed no structural damage. “I definitely thought it would be worse in the moment,” Vargas said. “I was praying for that. I feel good today.”.

Back in the bullpen. the White Sox leaned on Grant Taylor for Tuesday’s closing sequence. with manager Will Venable going to him rather than big-money closer Seranthony Dominguez to seal the comeback win. Venable didn’t frame it as a standoff. “[Taylor] was hot,” he said. “If he gets hot and you don’t use him, it’s kind of a wasted bullet there.”.

Taylor has been riding that momentum. The second-year reliever has been untouchable his last three outings. striking out the side in his latest start to earn his first save of the season and lower his ERA to 1.78. Dominguez. meanwhile. has had the kind of first act that keeps the game feeling unpredictable; he has a 4.82 ERA and was listed as 3-3. and the Sox have already seen flashes that don’t match the deal — a two-year. $20 million contract.

Dominguez has 10 saves. more than any Sox reliever all of last season. but the timing of his moments has still created discomfort. Venable said Dominguez was still the closer on Sunday after the veteran served up a three-run. game-tying home run to the Cubs’ Michael Conforto before the Sox eventually won on a walk-off.

General manager Chris Getz has said they’ll use Taylor in just about every relief scenario imaginable, including deploying him as an opener four times, though not since April 12.

For the Sox’ rookie spotlight, it wasn’t all about injuries and innings. Three-true-outcome slugger Munetaka Murakami has a different style than Ichiro Suzuki — more power and strikeouts than the contact profile — but the legendary Mariners star has long been a hero for Murakami. Tuesday at T-Mobile Park, Murakami got the chance to meet Ichiro for the first time on the field.

“[Suzuki] was always his idol growing up and he was really just glad to meet him,” interpreter Kenzo Yagi said, paraphrasing pleasantries between the Japanese superstars. “It was more of a greeting and just talking about all different things.”

The night carried its own kind of contrast: a rookie’s dream meeting, a bullpen decision that could easily become a debate later, and a catcher who knows that in baseball, sometimes the most difficult part isn’t the injury itself — it’s waiting for your body to finally line up with your timeline.

Kyle Teel White Sox injury update knee sprain Miguel Vargas Grant Taylor Will Venable Seranthony Dominguez Chris Getz Munetaka Murakami Ichiro Suzuki T-Mobile Park