White Sox' Benintendi Expects to Rejoin Lineup Thursday After Minor Side Soreness

White Sox outfielder and designated hitter Andrew Benintendi has not appeared in a spring training game since last Wednesday because of general soreness in his right side. On Monday, he said he expects to be back in the lineup Thursday night against the Guardians, provided there are no setbacks.

"It's early in camp, and we are just being cautious," Benintendi told the Sun-Times.

Manager Will Venable backed that timeline before Monday's Cactus League game against the Giants in Glendale, Arizona. "He'll be ready Thursday, we think," Venable said. He added that Benintendi was swinging and running Monday and would likely play if it were not March 2. The club will give him a few more days before sending him back out.

The Sox face the Padres on Tuesday and then have Wednesday off. Because Thursday's game is at night, Benintendi will get a large part of the week away from games. In three spring appearances, he has three hits in seven at-bats, two of them doubles.

The soreness follows an injury-filled 2025 season. Benintendi missed most of last spring training after a pitch caused a non-displaced fracture in his right hand. After returning in April, he went down with a strained left abductor, and the Sox shut him down in September because of tendinitis in his left Achilles tendon. He finished with 116 games played, a .240 average, 20 home runs, 63 RBI and a 104 OPS+, only four points above the major-league average.

Now 31 and heading into his 11th big-league season, Benintendi said he feels he is at a crossroads. "We're not getting any younger," he said. "Sometimes it's one thing after another." Asked about being part of another Sox rebuild, he said it feels less like one after a couple of years, with players settling in and many new additions. He called it a big year for several returning players, and he counts himself among them.

On the mound, right-hander Davis Martin started against the Giants and said he is competing for the Opening Day assignment on March 26 against the Brewers in Milwaukee. He allowed three runs and four hits over three innings, with two strikeouts and two walks. "Is it wide-open? I have no idea. We're going to compete like it's wide-open," he said. Martin also said he is looking at a leadership role, describing the team's leadership as organic, with everyone contributing in their own areas.

All three runs against Martin came in the third inning. He walked Buddy Kennedy and Jesus Rodriguez back-to-back before left fielder Jarred Kelenic lost a fly ball in the sun, which became a run-scoring double. Martin took responsibility, saying he cannot walk the two hitters ahead of that play. Kennedy later hit the go-ahead home run in the ninth as the Giants won 6-5. Kelenic, a non-roster invitee, went 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored and an RBI, but is hitting .176 this spring.

Elsewhere, MLB announced that its Spring Breakout, set for March 19 to 22 this year, will become a single-elimination tournament next year. Prospects from all 30 clubs will form the teams, and the Cactus League and Grapefruit League will each crown a champion. The Sox next face the Padres at 2:05 p.m. Tuesday in Glendale, with Nick Pivetta set to face Sean Newcomb.