The Boston Red Sox placed rookie outfielder Andrew Benintendi on the disabled list, which could signal trouble as they look to remain in first place.
Just as it seemed the Boston Red Sox left field situation was sorted out, Andrew Benintendi sprained his left knee and was subsequently placed on the 15-day disabled list. While it’s by no means a devastating injury, Benintendi had a become a key figure in the Sox lineup.
After shuffling through Brock Holt, Chris Young, Blake Swihart and Bryce Brentz for most of the season and receiving little production, Benintendi became a stabilizing force at the bottom of Boston’s lineup.
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In just 74 plate appearances, Benintendi is hitting .324/.365/.485 with one home run, 10 RBI and 11 runs scored. While it’s a small sample size, Benintendi’s immediate production didn’t come out of nowhere. After being drafted in the first round last season, the now 22-year-old dominated in A-ball.
In 54 games at Low-A and A last season, Benintendi maintained a dominant OBP while hitting 11 home runs and walking more than he struck out. That reign of dominance led to his quick ascent to the big leagues this season.
While he isn’t walking as much this season, Benintendi nearly walked 10 percent of the time in High-A and Double-A. Since his debut in the majors, his strikeout rate has ballooned to 23 percent – but that’s to be expected from any player with just 151 games of professional baseball under their belt.
Along with his solid hitting, Benintendi has been rather solid in left field. His -13.8 UZR/150 leaves room for improvement, but such a small sample size gives no real indication as to how he’ll perform in the future. Given his solid athleticism, it’s likely he’ll be an above average left fielder going forward.
If he keeps making plays like this, he’ll be among the best left fielders very quickly.
Now for at least two weeks, the Sox will have to turn to Chris Young in left field.
The 32-year-old struggled to start the season, but got hot to raise his average to .282. His struggles against right-handers could be worrisome as Boston looks to fend off Baltimore and Toronto – but he’ll likely be able to hit well enough to keep the bottom half of the Sox order afloat.
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Since Benintendi only has a knee sprain, he should return in time for the stretch run of the season. Given Boston’s issues in left field this season, his status as a rising star should only continue to rise once he returns.