Teel knee tweak throws White Sox rehab timing off

Kyle Teel’s return timetable shifted after he tweaked his right knee during a rehab swing with Triple-A Charlotte. The White Sox also faced bullpen and starter questions in a dramatic ninth inning that cost closer Seranthony Dominguez his third save and pushed

Kyle Teel’s rehab road hit a new snag after a swing left him with a tweaked right knee during his long-awaited assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Saturday. Teel was not in Charlotte’s lineup Sunday, and White Sox manager Will Venable said the 24-year-old catcher will be reevaluated.

Teel’s setback came after a separate injury first surfaced earlier in the spring. On March 10, he strained his right hamstring while playing for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic. He finally began his rehab assignment Tuesday, a move that had raised hopes his return was close.

Venable urged restraint as the team worked through the latest development.. “It would be premature to get too down the road on where we’re at or evaluate the concern for it. ” Venable said Sunday.. “We just want to figure out what is going on there and evaluate where’s he’s at. see how he responded to the treatment from last night and go from there.”

The Sox’s day also underscored how quickly the margin for error can vanish at the major league level.. With Chicago holding a 7-4 lead, closer Seranthony Dominguez came in to finish the game.. In the ninth. he walked Alex Bregman to start the inning. and a one-out throwing error by third baseman Miguel Vargas on a Seiya Suzuki grounder. while not charged to Dominguez. still left the inning sliding away.

Dominguez didn’t get the out that would have ended the threat. and Michael Conforto followed with a three-run homer to tie the score.. The pitch itself was described as a 98 mph sinker in the lower middle of the strike zone. and Venable said it wasn’t missed by Conforto.. Dominguez, signed in January to a two-year, $20 million contract, blew his third save and saw his ERA jump to 4.82.

“He was just a little erratic there, didn’t have his best stuff, fell behind guys,” Venable said. “Obviously, Conforto didn’t miss that pitch.”

Even with the blown save, Venable did not suggest the closer role was in jeopardy. “He’s our closer, and sometimes that spot for the closer comes earlier in the game and we’ll continue to use him in the best spots late,” Venable said. “But he’s still our closer, for sure.”

There was also no clear resolution on the pitching side beyond one rough outing.. Starter Erick Fedde worked three-plus innings and allowed four runs, including a first-inning home run by Michael Busch.. Fedde said his performance wasn’t caused by a cut on his thumb.. “It was just more the subconscious [of] trying to stop the bleeding,” Fedde said.. “I’m sure it maybe looked worse on TV. but I kept. like. wiping it or licking it to try to stop the bleeding onto the baseball.”

Fedde’s recent home-run rate has been a problem the Sox can’t ignore. He has allowed six home runs in his last three appearances and 11 this year. In three starts this month, he has been charged with 10 earned runs in just 12⅔ innings.

The bullpen and the lineup weren’t the only areas affected by the Sox’ injury picture. Outfielder Austin Hays strained his left calf, and Sunday’s sprint around the bases mattered because it was enough to kick-start a rehab assignment. That rehab stint will begin Tuesday with Charlotte.

Not every update was as encouraging. Right-hander Prelander Berroa underwent Tommy John surgery in March of last year. His rehab stint with the Sox’ Arizona Complex League team was paused after he threw six pitches Wednesday and experienced inflammation in his right elbow.

A pattern ran through the day’s setbacks: Teel’s hamstring strain had just started turning into progress with a rehab assignment on Tuesday. but a tweaked right knee during a rehab swing Sunday led to another reevaluation. while the Sox’s late-game control issues—tied to Dominguez’s erratic ninth—followed earlier injury-and-recovery movement as Hays pushed into rehab and Berroa’s elbow inflammation forced a pause after six pitches.

Teel now enters the next step of the evaluation process. and the club will monitor how he responds to treatment following the knee tweak.. With Hays beginning his rehab work Tuesday in Charlotte and Berroa’s elbow inflammation leaving his timetable uncertain. the Sox’s near-term plans remain tethered to how quickly their injuries settle—whether on the field or on the mound.

White Sox Kyle Teel rehab assignment right knee Will Venable Seranthony Dominguez blown save Alex Bregman Miguel Vargas Michael Conforto Erick Fedde Austin Hays Prelander Berroa Tommy John surgery