White Sox to be 'mindful of the long term' with Kyle Teel's recovery from right hamstring strain

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Not even a Grade 2 hamstring strain could put White Sox catcher Kyle Teel — a notoriously upbeat player — in a dour mood.

Teel returned to Arizona on Thursday and spoke to the media Friday after injuring his hamstring running the bases on a sixth-inning double Tuesday night in Team Italy’s 8-6 World Baseball Classic win over Team USA. He’s already begun treatment for the injury, which general manager Chris Getz estimated to be between four to six weeks.

"Those are just real estimates," manager Will Venable said. "Hopefully it’s quicker. It could be longer. I expressed to Kyle: [A] hamstring [injury], you want to put those in the rearview mirror and make sure as you progress you are being really mindful of the long term here. "

Teel said as he rounded first, he looked to see where the ball was, and he “kicked it in another gear” once he saw how close the outfielder was to the ball.

“I just felt it tightened up right away,” Teel said.

After a slow spring training — Teel batted .071 with a .378 OPS over five games — he turned it on at the WBC with four hits over two games. Teel was impressed with teammate Sam Antonacci, who’s having a breakout performance for Italy.

“That team [was] so much fun to be a part of,” Teel said. “[Sox prospect Sam Antonacci] is a dog. He just surprised me so much. He’s just such a great player, and for him to never play in the big leagues and go out on that stage and leave it out there like he did and how he’s going to on Sunday, it's unbelievable."

Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino naturally assumed a leadership role as one of the most accomplished players on the team, and his leadership style made an impression on Teel.

With the clubhouse skewing younger, Teel is positioned as one of the core players going forward — he can have a more vocal leadership role once he returns from his injury.

“He has a way of making people feel included but also making sure people get their work done,” Teel said. “He can be light but also be serious. Being with that group, I learned a lot. “

Teel has already put the injury behind him. He’s focused on attacking his rehab to return when he’s ready. The Sox have the luxury of being able to slow his return because they have two capable catchers in Korey Lee and Edgar Quero.

“We’ll be mindful [of] his rehab, but that he’ll be back in no time,” Venable said.

But despite the injury setback, Teel’s time with Italy was fruitful for his development as a hitter and leader. He said that he felt he was hitting balls hard in Arizona but wasn’t having success. But in his two games with Italy, Teel said his approach came together and that he enjoyed seeing his success pay off on a bigger stage. That stretch with Italy had a profound effect on Teel and will be helpful even as he goes through rehab.

Being around a former major-league catcher like Francisco Cervelli — Italy's manager — was helpful in Teel’s work behind the plate. While injured, Venable said Teel can still dive into opposing hitters' reports and continue building relationships with pitchers.

“The way I look at it is, ‘How can I go through this and come back better than I was before?'" Teel said. "That’s my number one goal. I’m feeling better, but I want to come out of this stronger than before.”