GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The hardest part about playing every other day during spring training is that it takes that much longer to get a bad game out of your system.
Mark Teahen is experiencing just that after making two throwing errors in Saturday’s game against the Cleveland Indians. He was not scheduled to play Sunday, but will be in action Monday when the White Sox have a pair of split-squad games.
Teahen is in a battle for the starting third base job with a heavily favored Brent Morel, so his multi-error game was the last thing he needed.
“I don’t really worry about it,” Teahen said about how he moves on after a rough day. “I’m working hard early in the spring. Timing and everything else is a little [off]. I don’t stress about it. Obviously you don’t want to make errors, but thankfully it’s in the spring and they happen. Get them out of the way now.”
All signs are pointing toward Morel being the Opening Day third baseman, but Teahen is still getting a shot to show what he can do at his natural position. Manager Ozzie Guillen said a decision will have to be made soon at third base, though.
Non-roster invitee Dallas McPherson has played well early in the Cactus League schedule and could wind up splitting time at third with Morel, while Teahen starts to get time in right field, left field and first base in preparation for a utility role. But Guillen hasn’t made that decision official just yet.
“He also knows the type of player I am and that if I made a couple of throws that were off a little bit, it’s not a huge deal,” Teahen said. “But I know I need to perform in the spring to earn that spot. It is what it is. I’m not getting too worked up one way or another.”
It wasn’t as if Teahen’s throws were into the stands or anything. He was slightly off target on both, but they were errors nonetheless.
“[Saturday] was actually the first day I felt comfortable in the field and a couple of errors happen,” said Teahen, who missed time earlier in camp because of a family emergency in California. “On one, [the runner] may have been out at first and the other one I was trying go home and then changed directions. So it wasn’t like I totally screwed something up. It was a couple of tough plays and I didn’t make them like I wanted to.”