Benintendi to miss rest of spring after HBP

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The White Sox picked up their first Cactus League victory under Will Venable on Thursday afternoon at Camelback Ranch, but lost left fielder Andrew Benintendi in their 4-2 win over the Guardians.

Benintendi will miss four to six weeks with a non-displaced fracture of his right hand, which is a non-surgical injury, according to the team. Benintendi started in left field but was hit by a pitch from Logan Allen with one out in the bottom half of the first inning.

After slowly moving down to first base, shaking his right hand, Benintendi was checked on by Venable and head athletic trainer James Kruk and was then replaced by Brooks Baldwin.

¡°He was in pain. Obviously terrible news. Hate to hear it,¡± Venable said. ¡°Just hope that he's able to have a speedy recovery. He's our guy.

¡°He's a guy that's been around. He understands the game, and he's a guy the young guys look to. We're going to miss him, but, hopefully, he gets back pretty soon and we can get back to business."

If Benintendi were to return on the short end of the four- to six-week recovery period, he could be ready right around the Opening Day date of March 27 at home against the Angels. Otherwise, the target date looks more like mid-April. Those time frames are just estimates, with the White Sox not rushing Benintendi back into action.

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¡°We'll be appropriate with the recovery and what it takes and whatever he needs to do to get back healthy,¡± Venable said. ¡°We'll take our time.

¡°Obviously, we'll be missing his presence out on the field. But we¡¯ve got to give him a chance to heal up and get better."

The White Sox have four other veteran outfielders on the roster making guaranteed money: Luis Robert Jr., Michael A. Taylor, Austin Slater and Mike Tauchman, with Robert an everyday fixture in center field. Left-handed-hitting Dominic Fletcher and Oscar Col¨¢s could be replacement candidates, as could left-handed-hitting non-roster invitee Joey Gallo, who played 11 games in the outfield during the 2024 season.

"Guys are going to have to step up,¡± Venable said. ¡°We know injuries are a part of this, and that's why we got some of these guys -- to make sure that we're covered. That'll open up some opportunities for somebody else early. They'll have to pick up the slack."

In the third season of a five-year, $75 million deal, Benintendi is owed $47.5 million for the remainder of the contract. Not only is he a strong clubhouse influence, but Benintendi had a solid second half in ¡¯24 with a .263/.328/.502 slash line to go with 13 home runs, 12 doubles and 38 RBIs.