Chicago White Sox catcher Korey Lee rolled his left ankle on a pickoff attempt and was forced to leave the team’s 3-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians in the sixth inning on Wednesday.
The team issued a brief statement after the injury.
“Korey Lee left tonight’s game with left ankle soreness. He will undergo further testing,” the White Sox shared on social media.
Lee needed help off the field after the ankle injury.
What the team doesn’t know yet is a precise diagnosis or just how much time Lee might miss.
But if a stint on the injured list is required for Lee, the White Sox potentially could turn to either Kyle Teel or Edgar Quero, both assigned to Triple-A Charlotte. Teel is the No. 3 catching prospect in baseball, as ranked by MLB Pipeline, and Quero the No. 9 overall.
Both catchers were invited to spring training, where first-year manager Will Venable became familiar with the catchers.
And they – and a whole bunch of prospects in Chicago’s well-regarded farm system — impressed Venable.
“Yeah, they’re not far off,” Venable said his group of almost-there players. “They’re not far off and they have the things they need to continue to work on, but we know that they’re gonna be contributing here at some point and some of them this summer.”
Lee, Teel and Quero all were acquired by trade in the past two seasons.
Lee, 26, arrived in Chicago from the Houston Astros, who got relief pitcher Kendall Graveman in return. Lee is off to a .385 start in eight games this season.
Teel, 23, was part of the package of prospects the White Sox received in the offseason in the trade that sent LHP Garrett Crochet to the Boston Red Sox. He is hitting .190 with two home runs and nine RBIs but is a career .295 hitter in 148 minor league appearances since Boston selected him in the first round of the 2023 draft.
Quero, 22, was part of the return from the Los Angeles Angels in a 2023 trade for RHP Lucas Giolito. On the young season, he is hitting .371 with two home and nine RBIs in 10 games.
Matt Thaiss is the only other catcher on the team’s 40-man roster.
The White Sox will hope for the best news possible concerning the Lee injury but take comfort in knowing they have a reserve corps of catchers in Charlotte.
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