Blake Tekotte made his 2013 debut for the Charlotte Knights on Friday, after spending the first two weeks of the season on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring.
Two plate appearances into his first start of the year, he was lifted for a pinch hitter and on his way to Chicago.
So much for a rehab stint.
Tekotte will take the roster spot of Dayan Viciedo, as the White Sox placed the Tank on the 15-day DL with a strained left oblique. Viciedo said he thought he could avoid the DL, but given the speed with which the Sox took him off the roster, that was just wishful thinking.
This comes a day after Jared Mitchell was demoted from Charlotte to Birmingham, which is yet another indicator of how disoriented Mitchell must be at the plate. Brandon Short will move up from Double-A to fill the hole in the Knights outfield, instead.
Tekotte is still in search of his first successful major league stint. He received 55 plate appearances spread out over a few cups of coffee with San Diego, but hit only .163/.226/.224, with 25 strikeouts to just four walks. Struggling with swing changes and leg injuries in 2012, he slid down the Padres' depth chart until a roster crunch forced him out of the picture. The White Sox took Tekotte off their Friars' hands for right-handed reliever Brandon Kloess.
Tekotte hit .222/.286/.333 over 43 plate appearances during spring training, although the struggles of Mitchell and Jeff Keppinger show us how much red-hot springs mean. I'd be more concerned with the inactivity. Tekotte was supposed to work himself into viable-option shape over a couple months, but he's pressed into action sooner than everybody thought.
With Tekotte, Alejandro De Aza, Dewayne Wise and Jordan Danks, Robin Ventura has four left-handed hitters who can handle all three positions. Unfortunately, only one has a track record of covering the plate.