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White Sox Trade Target Offers Risky Injury Assessment

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nate Miller | Last updated Mar 3, 2025 10:03 AM ET

The rebuilding White Sox would probably like to shop Andrew Benintendi around the trade market later this spring. Unfortunately, the veteran outfielder’s health status is perhaps going to make that difficult.

Benintendi sustained a fracture on his right pinkie finger when he was plunked during a Spring Training contest this past Thursday. The estimated timetable for his return to the White Sox lineup is 4-to-6 weeks, placing his status for Opening Day on March 27 in definite question.

“I’d like to be out there for Opening Day,” Benintendi said. “Time will tell.”

Benintendi went 0 for 5 with a couple of strikeouts in three spring games before suffering the injury, but he rolled at the plate down the stretch for the bottom-feeding White Sox in 2024.

After hitting barely above .200 alongside a weak .574 OPS over 88 games through the end of July, Benintendi ranked among the league’s most productive hitters in August and September.

During the season’s final two months, the 30-year-old mashed his way to a .275/.346/.538 slash line with a dozen long balls and 33 RBI across 47 games. You can bet teams in need of some help in the outfield have noticed those numbers.

Andrew Benintendi! pic.twitter.com/ixboMYnRFW
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) September 28, 2024

Benintendi has three years and nearly $50 million remaining on his current contract. Moving him in a trade would probably require the White Sox to eat some of that money, but with Benintendi’s wealth of experience and success with the bat late last season, there is likely to be at least a few suitors when he is ready to return to action.

In the meantime, regarding his injured finger, Benintendi says he will “try to push the bar, but we’ll be smart about it too.”

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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