PHOENIX -- If you determined injury severity by armchair body language analysis, Andrew Benintendi's reaction to a first inning hit by pitch on Thursday wouldn't have set off all the alarms.
Naturally reserved, Benintendi examined his right hand after it was drilled by a 87 mph Logan Allen fastball with the annoyance it deserved before trudging up the first base line to take his base. That he gave way to the entreaties from the White Sox training staff to leave the game had to be weighed against the knowledge that nine-year MLB veterans tend not to require much convincing to leave a Cactus League affair.
But then an X-ray machine got involved, and now the White Sox have a whole situation on their hands. The team announced that Benintendi has a non-displaced fracture in his right hand, and as much as the 30-year-old is a dyed-in-the-wool bottom-hand swinger, that is expected to sideline him for 4-6 weeks and knock him off the Opening Day roster. Benintendi's injury will not require surgery, per the team.
"He was in pain, obviously terrible news," said manager Will Venable. "Guys are going to have to step up. 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, and they'll have to pick up the slack."
After hitting .263/.328/.502 with 13 home runs in the second half last year, Benintendi was expected to be a middle-of-the-order fixture for an offense scarily light on proven contributors. His absence also inserts intrigue into an outfield picture that previously had none, since he was one of five outfielders in camp on a guaranteed contract. With Luis Robert Jr., Michael A. Taylor, Mike Tauchman and Austin Slater all rated as superior defenders to Benintendi, he was also expected to figure into the DH rotation, despite optimism that a full offseason to rest his left Achilles would restore some burst to his outfield jumps.
A slimmed-down Dominic Fletcher has been impressive early on in camp and is already on the 40-man roster. Among the many veteran non-roster invites, Brandon Drury has corner outfield experience and most recently put forth a successful season at the plate. But as a left-handed power threat who wouldn't need to make a full-time return to the outfield to serve as a Benintendi replacement, Joey Gallo's presence in camp only takes on greater prominence. Bobby Dalbec is athletic enough to play the outfield and willing to boot, as is Brooks Baldwin. Oscar Colás is definitively still here. Wilfred Veras Island is always open to new residents.
When a team coming off an 121-loss season loses one of its few offensive fixtures before the start of March, there are few ideas that can be dismissed out of hand, but also few solutions that can immediately inspire confidence.
To add long-term angst to the more immediate concern, Colson Montgomery already missed Thursday's game after being scratched with back spasms. Both the White Sox and Montgomery have termed his absence from the lineup as a precautionary move, driven by how unnecessary it is to play through any discomfort in the early portions of spring.
"Precautionary," Venable said of sitting Montgomery. "Just let him cool down for a couple days and see where he's at. We want to be sensitive to the back in any injury, and we'll give him the time he needs to get back and healthy."
Montgomery felt the issue during batting practice on Thursday and indicated there is zero concern about his back long-term, but his importance to the organization and prior history of losing multiple months to a back strain in 2023 lends added weight to otherwise minor news. After finishing last year at 240 pounds, Montgomery lost weight over the winter, which he said was aimed at enabling him to stick at shortstop.
