White Sox Place Andrew Benintendi on IL, Season Likely Over

Andrew Beintendi’s season appears to be over. On Tuesday, the White Sox placed Benintendi on the 10-day injured list due to left Achilles tendinitis and selected the contract of Corey Julks from Triple-A Charlotte. 

The injury is retroactive to September 21, when Benintendi appeared as a pinch hitter for Curtis Mead in the bottom of the seventh inning with the White Sox trailing the Padres 3-1.

Benintendi worked a five-pitch walk with the bases loaded, cutting the deficit to a one-run, before being replaced by backup catcher Korey Lee as a pinch runner. Lee remained in the game as the left fielder, as the Sox ultimately fell to the Padres 3-2.

With just six games remaining, the 10-day IL stint all but signals the end of Benintendi’s season. The 31-year-old posted a .240/.307/.417 slash line with 20 home runs and 63 RBIs over 116 games, his most productive campaign since signing a five-year, $73 million deal that made him the highest-paid player in White Sox history. 

His .783 OPS and 105 OPS+ both marked personal bests during his three seasons on the South Side. However, while Benintendi did raise his walk rate to 8.5% and cut down on strikeouts, he still had one highest strikeout rates in baseball at 17.5%. He also had one of the slowest bat speeds and lowest average exit velocities in the MLB at just 88 mph. 

It could be the last time we see Benintendi in a White Sox uniform, as the front office was reportedly shopping him around during both the offseason and trade deadline. However, the challenge will be finding a team to take on the final two years of his contract, where he owed $17.1 million next season and $15.1 million in 2027. 

Benintendi has also not posted a WAR over 2.0 since 2022, with his 1.0 WAR this season marking his highest in a White Sox uniform. Defensively, he has also slipped from the Gold Glove defender he was in 2021. His range and arm strength have dipped in recent years, with  -8 Outs Above Average this past season. He has also ranked among the top five in errors by American League left fielders in each of the past three seasons.