There was good news at Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday night for the White Sox. Catcher Kyle Teel (hamstring strain/LCL sprain) and left-handed starter Noah Schultz (patellar tendinitis) each made their first appearances of a rehab assignment with the Knights.
Schultz started on the mound, and Teel went 2-for-3 with a home run in a 9-5 loss to Buffalo at Sahlen Field.
Schultz, who made his MLB debut in April, lasted just 1 2/3 innings with 21 strikes amid 38 total pitches. His stuff looked strong with four strikeouts, though a leadoff walk burned him as Sean Keys homered later in the first inning. He earned his punchouts on the sinker (two), changeup and sweeper.
Those were the lone two runs Schultz allowed. He walked two more in the first but got out of the jam with a strikeout. He then struck out the first two batters he faced in the second before being replaced.
Meanwhile, Teel jumpstarted Charlotte with a two-run homer in the first inning. He blasted a first-pitch fastball 353 feet to the opposite field at 99.8 mph off the bat.
Serving as the catcher, Teel also singled on a ground ball in the sixth inning, scoring on a Michael Turner home run. Teel was replaced defensively in the bottom of the sixth.
However, seeing him behind the plate in the first place is a positive sign, considering this is Teel’s second rehab assignment since injuring his hamstring in the World Baseball Classic. He played four games with Charlotte in mid-May before suffering the sprain to his right LCL, requiring a few weeks of rest.
Former first-round picks Teel, 24, and Schultz, 22, are key parts of both the present and the future for the White Sox, who remain atop the AL Central and in a tight race with the Guardians. They each took a big step back to the big leagues Tuesday.