The Chicago White Sox placed outfielder Andrew Benintendi on the injured list before Sunday’s game with left Achilles tendinitis. Benintendi slugged his third homer of the season in the top of the third during Saturday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers. However, Dominic Fletcher replaced him in the field before the bottom of the inning.
Sox put Andrew Benintendi on the injured list with left achilles tendinitis, which forced him to make an early exit from yesterday’s loss, the team’s 10th straight. Oscar Colás up from Triple-A.@jwyllys is the man on the scene for @CHGO_Sports today in Milwaukee.
— Vinnie Duber (@VinnieDuber) June 2, 2024
White Sox manager Pedro Grifol told reporters that the veteran has been bothered by the issue for an extended period of time. But on Saturday, the pain became too much, taking Benintendi out of the game. With Benintendi on the injured list, the White Sox recalled former top outfield prospect Oscar Colas from Triple-A.
Chicago White Sox Place Andrew Benintendi On Injured List
Benintendi became team history’s highest-paid free agent acquisition during the 2022-23 offseason by signing a five-year, $75 million contract. Unfortunately, he has been one of the worst players in Major League Baseball during his time on the south side of Chicago.
Since the start of last season, the 29-year-old has hit .245/.302/.338 (78 OPS+) with nine homers and 15 steals. At his best, Benintendi hits for a high average by making a lot of contact and not striking out. He has little power but is able to find holes in the defense.
Modern analysis says that success from this type of offensive profile isn’t reliable. Effective defensive positioning is a common way to defend against a low-power singles hitter like Benintendi. On the other hand, it’s more challenging for defenders to turn hard-hit balls into outs.
Andrew Benintendi pic.twitter.com/cIgxGyyJI5
— Daryl Van Schouwen (@CST_soxvan) June 2, 2024
Per fWAR, Benintendi represents the least valuable player (among those that qualify) in MLB this season (-1.6). That said, struggles of this magnitude are likely due to many reasons. It’s likely that his struggles stem from a combination reasons, like his quality of contact, achilles pain, and mental issues/pressure.
But for now, Benintendi will head to the injured list and hopefully return better than ever for a struggling White Sox squad.
Main Photo Credits: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
