The White Sox intend to name up veteran catcher Omar Narváez, experiences James Fegan of Sox Machine. Korey Lee left at the moment’s sport in opposition to the Guardians within the sixth inning when he rolled his left ankle working again to first base on a pickoff.
There’s not a lot readability on Lee’s harm. The Sox have solely introduced it as ankle soreness and indicated he’ll go for testing. It seemed ugly sufficient that an injured checklist stint appears inevitable. Even a day-to-day harm for a catcher often necessitates a roster transfer, since groups are inclined to solely carry two catchers on the energetic roster. Lee has break up the place with Matt Thaiss within the season’s first two weeks.
Thaiss has began seven of the 11 video games. He solely has 4 hits however has labored seven walks over 27 plate appearances. Lee has 5 hits and a pair walks in 17 journeys to the dish. A former first-round decide of the Astros, Lee appeared in a career-high 125 video games final season. He hit .210/.244/.347 with 12 homers whereas placing out in 31% of his 394 plate appearances.
Narváez was in camp on a minor league contract. The Sox launched him on the finish of Spring Coaching however re-signed him on a recent minor league deal firstly of April. With highly-regarded prospects Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero splitting the catching duties in Triple-A, the Sox assigned Narváez to Double-A Birmingham. He’s way more skilled than most gamers at that stage. Narváez has gone 2-7 with a double and a stroll in two video games.
Right now’s loss dropped the White Sox to 2-9. They’re clearly in for an additional lengthy season. Teel and Quero ought to every obtain their first MLB name sooner or later this yr. (Quero has gotten out to a blistering begin at Triple-A Charlotte.) The Sox are taking their respective progressions intentionally and evidently don’t really feel they’re prepared for MLB motion. They’ll as a substitute go together with the 33-year-old Narváez to separate the catching duties with Thaiss within the brief time period.
Narváez was an All-Star with the Brewers again in 2021. His manufacturing has tanked within the three years since then, as he’s a .200/.276/.286 hitter in 511 plate appearances going again to the beginning of the ’22 season. Narváez is just not on the 40-man roster. The Sox have a gap after outrighting Travis Jankowski, so that they’ll solely must make an energetic roster transfer (presumably an IL stint for Lee) to pick out his contract.
