Ex-Royals All-Star's Untimely Injury News Has Possible Implications For KC
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One former Kansas City Royals star can't seem to catch a break these days.
Outfielder Andrew Benintendi, who played one-and-a-half seasons for the Royals from 2021 to 2022, signed a five-year, $75 million contract with the Chicago White Sox before the 2023 season, and it's been fairly disastrous so far.
Benintendi hasn't given the White Sox much return on their investment, and his contract is the highest total value of any deal in franchise history. Plus, he was a member of the worst team in modern baseball history last season.
On Thursday, the series of unfortunate events added another chapter.
Benintendi, who owns a .684 OPS as a member of the White Sox, suffered a non-displaced fracture on his right hand after being hit by a pitch in a spring training game on Thursday. Chicago believes Benintendi will be out for four to six weeks.
In 2022, Benintendi had his second-best season as a big-leaguer, behind the 2018 World Series year with the Boston Red Sox. He made the All-Star team while ranking near the top of the American League batting average leaderboard, and the Royals capitalized by trading him to the New York Yankees.
The timing of the injury is unfortunate, because Benintendi actually had a very solid second half of the 2024 season. He had an .830 OPS and 13 home runs in 60 games after the All-Star break, and could still be a formidable foe if he rebounds to that form at some point.
Last season, the Royals went 12-1 against the White Sox and one game under .500 against everyone else. Beating up on Chicago was the reason they made the playoffs, and the White Sox aren't off to an auspicious start to the follow-up campaign.
The Royals don't face the White Sox until May 5, so there's a pretty good chance Benintendi will be back in the lineup by the time the two teams square off. But injuries can disrupt momentum. And if Benintendi isn't hitting, there are few White Sox players who can be counted on otherwise.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org
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