Pregame notes: A catcher leading off

Kyle Teel is leading off on Saturday, and there are multiple reasons it seems like at least a half-decent idea.

• He's done it before, just 10 days ago, albeit as a DH
• Teel went 0-for-4 on that day, but he's hitting .313/.367/.506 since the All-Star break
• Mike Tauchman is dealing with "lower half soreness" after looking limited on the basepaths Friday night, and Will Venable explained that they simply shifted all the left-handers in the lineup up a slot

But the funny thing is, unless this Stathead search was horrifically botched, is that the White Sox--apologies to Zack Collins pinch-hitting for Tim Anderson at the end of a blowout in 2021--have not had a catcher start in the leadoff spot since Bruce Kimm in 1980. Kimm went 0-for-4 on Aug. 7 in Baltimore and the Sox lost 2-1.

In fact, of the mere seven times in franchise history the Sox have had their starting catcher hit leadoff, they are 0-7, despite Brian Downing doing pretty well for himself in the mid-70s.

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Josh Rojas was granted his unconditional release on Saturday, a day after being designated for assignment. Usually this is a procedural technicality that is already implied when a veteran signing is designated for assignment, and it totally is again in this instance. But since so many DFA'd White Sox players have cleared waivers and headed out to Charlotte this year, it was worth specifying.

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The White Sox have lost 24 of their last 28 games against the Twins, which is especially embarrassing when you consider that the Twins haven't even been that good over that span.

The Sox have also lost 14 of their last 17 games overall (there were people talking about this team winning 70 games!!!) and are 9-28 against the AL Central this year. Thankfully, they only need to win two more divisional games to best last year's 10-42 mark against the AL Central last year.

First pitch: White Sox vs. Twins

TV: CHSN

Radio: ESPN 1000 AM, WRTO 1200 AM

Lineups: